Cirencester

Cirencester has worn the title 'Capital of the Cotswolds' for so long that most visitors assume it is official. It is not, but the nickname fits. This is the biggest town in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a working market town with a genuine high street rather than a museum-piece village, yet it is built almost entirely from the same warm limestone as its smaller, more photographed neighbours. Wool merchants' wealth built the town from the medieval period onwards, and that money paid for the enormous parish church that still dominates the market square today.

Beneath the current town lies Corinium, the second-largest town in Roman Britain after London, and that Roman past is not just a footnote here. Mosaic pavements, an amphitheatre earthwork and one of the country's best regional museums all sit within walking distance of the modern shops. To the south-east, the private but publicly-walkable Cirencester Park unrolls for thousands of acres behind a famous yew hedge, while further out the flooded gravel pits of the Cotswold Water Park have become one of the region's more unexpected outdoor playgrounds. Cirencester makes a practical, well-connected base for exploring the whole southern Cotswolds.

Top things to do in Cirencester

Cirencester rewards a slow wander as much as a planned itinerary, but a handful of sights are genuinely worth building a day around.

• Corinium Museum — an award-winning museum built around Cirencester's Roman heritage, with mosaics, tombstones and reconstructed rooms tracing the town from Corinium through Anglo-Saxon, medieval and Victorian Cirencester.
• Cirencester Parish Church of St John the Baptist — one of the largest parish churches in England, funded by the medieval wool trade and dominating the market square with its three-storey south porch.
• Cirencester Park — the private estate of Earl Bathurst, whose parkland and famous mile-long avenue are open to walkers, joggers and cyclists on foot, right from the edge of town.
• Cirencester Amphitheatre — the grassed-over earthwork remains of one of the largest Roman amphitheatres in Britain, a short walk from the town centre and free to visit.
• Cotswold Water Park — around 180 flooded former gravel pits spread across Gloucestershire and Wiltshire just south of the town, offering watersports, birdwatching and lakeside walking trails.
• Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens — a family-run zoo and garden set around a Victorian manor house a short drive from Cirencester, home to giraffes, rhinos and a narrow-gauge railway.
• Cirencester market and the Corn Hall — a twice-weekly outdoor market in the historic market place, alongside the Victorian Corn Hall, which now hosts an indoor market, theatre and events.

Getting to Cirencester

Cirencester sits just off the A417 and A419, which connect it to the M4 and M5 respectively, making it an easy drive from Bristol, Gloucester, Swindon and the wider South West. The town itself has no railway station; the nearest mainline stations are Kemble, about four miles away on the Golden Valley line to Swindon and London Paddington, and Stroud or Swindon, both reachable by a short onward bus or taxi journey. Regular bus services connect Cirencester to Cheltenham, Gloucester and Swindon, and the town centre is compact enough to explore entirely on foot once you arrive.

Best time to visit Cirencester

Late spring through early autumn is the most popular window, when the parkland walks, market stalls and Water Park lakes are all at their best and the town's pavement cafes fill up. May and June bring long daylight hours without the peak summer crowds of the more famous Cotswold villages, while September and October add golden autumn colour to Cirencester Park's avenues. Winter has its own appeal too, with a quieter town centre, a Christmas market around the Corn Hall, and roaring fires in the older pubs, though some rural attractions reduce their opening hours out of season.

Where to stay in Cirencester

Cirencester's accommodation ranges from historic coaching inns in the town centre to farmhouse B&Bs and self-catering cottages scattered through the surrounding villages. Staying centrally puts the market square, museum and restaurants within easy walking distance, while a base just outside town gives quicker access to Cirencester Park, the Cotswold Water Park or the Wildlife Park. Many visitors combine a night or two in the town with a stay closer to the Water Park itself if watersports or lakeside walking are the main draw.

Food and drink in Cirencester

The Kings Head Hotel, a former coaching inn on Market Place, houses two restaurants along with a deli and wine cellar showcasing produce from the surrounding Cotswolds. Jacks Brunch Kitchen is a popular spot for daytime dining in the town centre, while a good spread of independent cafes, bakeries and pubs line the streets around the market square and Cricklade Street. Out towards the Cotswold Water Park, lakeside venues such as the Waterside Kitchen & Bar add a different setting for a meal after a day on or around the water.