Living in and around Cirencester

 Cirencester, Cheltenham and Gloucester are all ancient Roman strongholds as is the famous Fosse Way. The Cotswolds is the home of the Arts & Crafts movement founded at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th Centuries by William Morris, who occasionally lived in BroadwayTower. Many modern film makers have chosen The Cotswolds as a backdrop to various dramas such as Harry Potter in Gloucester Cathedral.

The countryside and villages around Cirencester are picturesque and lively, with thriving rural communities. One of the prettiest areas is the lovely Coln Valley where the meandering River Coln weaves its ways through some of the of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, with deep grassy valleys and villages such as Ablington, Coln St Aldwyns, Coln St Dennis, Winson, Coln Rogers, Barnsley, Calcot, Eastleach, Quenington and Southrop all bustle for closeness to this pretty trout river. Bibury is one such charming, typically Cotswold, village just a short drive from Cirencester. Bibury was once described by William Morris as "the most beautiful village in England".

South West Gloucestershire remains a highly desirable location for both commuters and families. It is a picturesque, largely rural area and its villages nestle in valleys and woodlands with traditional Cotswold stone cottages peppering the hillsides and winding roads. The landscape of South West Gloucestershire has long been an inspiration to artists and writers. It was made especially famous as the setting for Laurie Lee’s “Cider with Rosie”. Commuters who choose to live in South West Gloucestershire are within easy reach of London, the Midlands, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Bristol. What’s more, the area provides excellent links to the North on the M5. Excellent schools make the area an ideal choice for families with children of all ages.

South Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire is a more ‘down to earth’ area than the more picturesque Cotswold valleys and hills. South Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire is ideal for those who need fast, easy access to London, Swindon, Bristol, South Wales or the Midlands. It is popular with families because of the excellent schools in the area and it is also a favourite with smallholders and those with equestrian interests.

There is easy access to London via the M4 or by rail. The ancient North Wiltshire town of Malmesbury lies just six miles north of Junction 17 of the M4 on the southern edge of the Cotswolds. To the west, the pretty rural villages of Sherston, Didmarton and Badminton offer the best of country living.

Places of interest

• New Brewery Arts
• Corinium Museum
• Cirencester Park
• Cotswold Water Park
• Church of St. John Baptist
• The Abbey Grounds
• Arlington Row, Bibury
• Chavenage House
• Chedworth Roman Villa

Local authorities

• Cotswold District Council
  01285 623000
• Gloucestershire County Council
  01452 425000 
  
   
• The Stroud District Council Offices
  01453 766321
• Wiltshire Council
  0300 456 0100 
  
   
• Malmesbury Town Council
  01666 822143
• Swindon Borough Council
  01793 445500

Property available in the Cirencester area

Whether you are looking for a Cotswold stone built manor house, farm estate, old rectory, traditional stone cottage, striking converted barn or a modern, new stone building; in a country, village or town setting, Knight Frank can find the property that's right for you.

Getting to Cirencester

The Cotswolds lie between the M5, M40 and M4 motorways. The main non-motorway roads all roughly follow the routes of ancient roads, some laid down by the Romans, such as Ermin Street and the Fosse Way. National Express Coaches regularly link up with many towns and cities.

Roads

• A46 Bath /Stroud/Cheltenham
• A419 Swindon/Cirencester/Stroud
• A429 Cirencester/Stow-on-the-Wold/Moreton-in-Marsh
• A40 Oxford/Burford/Cheltenham
• A44 Oxford/Aberystwyth
• A424 Burford/Stow-on-the-Wold
• A429 Malmesbury/Warwick
• A433 Badminton /Cirencester
• A417 Cirencester/Gloucester
• A4135 Tetbury/Slimbridge
• M4 - Junctions 15, 16, 17 and 19 serve Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire and The Cotswolds. Junction 17 of the M4 is about 17 miles south of Cirencester
• M5 - Junction 10, 11, 11a, 12 and 13 of the M5 serve Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds. Junction 13 is about 16 miles west of Cirencester
• M40: The A40/M40 starts at Burford, between Cheltenham and Oxford. Oxford is just half an hour (20 miles) from Burford

Rail

The area is bounded by two major rail routes: London-Bristol and Bristol-Birmingham main line. In addition, the Cotswold Line runs through the Cotswolds from Oxford to Worcester, and the Golden Valley Line runs from Swindon to Gloucester, carrying high speed and local services.

Main-line, high-speed rail services to the big cities run from stations such as Bath, Swindon, Oxford, Cheltenham and Worcester. High-speed services to London are also available from Kemble station near Cirencester, Kingham station near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury station and Moreton-in-Marsh station.

• Cheltenham Spa - London, Paddington: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Moreton-in-Marsh - London, Paddington: 1 hour 34 minutes
• Charlbury - London, Paddington: 1 hour 12 minutes
• Kingham - London, Paddington: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Kemble (3 miles from Cirencester) - Paddington: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Swindon - Paddington: 55 minutes
• Stroud - Paddington: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Chippenham - Paddington: 1 hour 20 minutes

Air

• Bristol International Airport – 8 miles south of Bristol on the A38. Bristol International Airport offers regular flights to a large number of international destinations.
• Birmingham International Airport is about an hour’s drive from Moreton-in-Marsh – 40 miles.
• Gloucestershire Airport between Cheltenham and Gloucester – flights to Isle of Man, Jersey and Belfast.

Taxi/chauffeur services

A2B Taxis of Cirencester 01285 655651

Cirencester Taxis 01285 640088

Schools

Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds offer a superb selection of schools, ranging from Nursery Schools to Public Schools. The quality of the private and state schools in the region are one of the major reasons why buyers wish to move to the area.

Nursery schools

• Acorns Nursery, Cirencester
  01285 655505
• Bingham Kindergarten
  01285 651310
• Hatherop Castle Nursery
  01285 750206
• St Peter's Nursery, Cirencester
  01285 642473
• Stepping Stones, Cirencester
  01285 642460
• Ashton Keynes C of E Primary School
  01285 861436

Public schools

• Cheltenham College
  01242 750206
• Cheltenham Ladies' College
  01242 654046
• Dean Close, Cheltenham
  01242 258000
• Rendcomb College, Cirencester
  01285 832310
• St Edward's, Cheltenham
  01242 538600
• St Mary's, Calne
  01249 857220
• Westonbirt, Tetbury
  01666 880333
• Wycliffe College, Stonehouse
  01453 822432

Preparatory Schools (including pre-prep)

• Beaudesert Park, Minchinhampton 01453 832072
• Cheltenham College Junior
  01242 265600
• Grittleton House
  01249 782434
• Hatherop Castle
  01285 750318
• Kitebrook House, Moreton-in-Marsh
  01608 674350
• Pinewood, Bourton
  01793 782205
• Prior Park, Cricklade
  01793 750275
• Rose Hill Westonbirt
  01666 881400
• St Edward's, Cheltenham
  01242 538600
• St Margaret's, Calne
  01249 857220
• Wycliffe College, Stonehouse
  01453 822432

State Schools

• The Cotswold School, Bourton-on-the-Water
  01451 820554
• Deer Park, Cirencester
  01285 653447
   
• Farmors, Fairford
  01285 712302
• Marling, Stroud
  01453 762251
• Cirencester College
  01285 640994
• Kingshill, Cirencester
  01285 651511
• Pate's Grammar, Cheltenham
  01242 523169
• Stroud High
  01453 764441
• Burford School and Community College
  01993 823303

Bars and restaurants

Restaurants

• Allium, Fairford
  01285 712 200
• Barnsley House, Barnsley
  01285 740 000
• Bibury Court Hotel, Bibury
  01285 740 337
• Calcot Manor, Tetbury
  01666 890 391
• Cowley Manor, Cowley
  01242 870 900
• Daylesford Farmshop Café, Oddington
  01608 731 700
• Jesse’s Bistro, Blackjack Street, Cirencester
  01285 641 497
• Made By Bob, Cirencester
  01285 641 818
• The Chef’s Table, Tetbury
  01666 504 466
• The Close Hotel, Tetbury
  01666 502 272
• The Old Bell Hotel, Malmesbury
  01666 822 344
• The Old Passage Inn, Arlingham
  01452 740 547
• The Potting Shed, Crudwell
  01666 577 833
• Whatley Manor, Easton Grey, Malmesbury
  01666 822 888
• William’s Kitchen, Nailsworth
  01453 835 507

Dining pubs

• Cat & Custard Pot, Shipton Moyne
  01666 880 249
• The Bell, Sapperton
  01285 760 298
• The Catherine Wheel, Bibury
  01285 740 250
• The Coach & Horses Inn, Longborough
  01451 830 325
• The Crown, Frampton Mansell
  01285 760 601
• The Falcon, Poulton
  01285 850 878
• The Golden Hart, Nettleton Bottom
  01242 870 261
• The Gumstool, Tetbury
  01666 890 931
• The Halfway House, Minchinhampton
  01453 832 631
• The Hare & Hounds, Fosse Cross
  01285 720 288
• The Hollow Bottom, Guiting Power
  01451 850 394
• The Horse & Groom, Charlton
  01666 823 904
• The Inn at Fossebridge, Fosseway
  01285 720 721
• The Kings Arms, Didmarton
  01454 238 245
• The Ormond at Tetbury, Tetbury
  01666 505 690
• The Rattlebone, Sherston
  01666 840 871
• The Royal Oak, Bishopstone
  01793 790 481
• The Seven Tuns, Chedworth
  01285 720 242
• The Swan, Southrop
  01367 850 205
• The Trouble House, Tetbury
  01666 502 206
• The Village Pub, Barnsley
  01285 740 421
• The Vine Tree, Norton
  01666 837 654
• The Volunteer Inn, Great Somerford
  01249 720 316
• The Wheatsheaf, Northleach
  01451 860 244
• The Woolpack, Slad
  01452 813 429

Oriental

• Soushi, Cirencester
  01285 641 414
• Thai Emerald, Cirencester
  01285 654 444

For details of bars and restaurants in and around Cheltenham, please visit our living in Cheltenham office pages.

Cinemas and theatres

Cinemas

• Apollo, Stroud
  0871 220 600o
• Cineworld: Cheltenham, Gloucester, Swindon (Shaw Ridge), Witney
  0871 200 2000
• Empire, Swindon (Greenbridge)
  0871 471 4714
• Odeon, Cheltenham
  0871 224 4007

Theatres

• Chipping Norton Theatre
  01608 642 350
• The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
  01242 572 573
• The Playhouse, Cheltenham
  01242 522 852
• The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford 0844 800 1110
• The Theatre Royal, Bath
  01225 448 844
• Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
  01793 524 481

Hospitals

For information on Doctors, Opticians, Dentists and Pharmacists ring NHS Direct on 0845 46 47

• Cirencester Hospital
  01285 655711
• Tetbury Hospital
  01666 502336
• Great Western Hospital, Swindon
  01793 604 020
• Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester
  08454 222 222
• Cheltenham General Hospital
  08454 222 222
• Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust
  01225 428 331
• Frenchay Hospital, Bristol
  0117 970 1212