Cirencester

Cirencester is a picturesque market town in the Cotswolds, in the county of Gloucestershire. It's an ancient market town with traditional Cotswold buildings and thriving shopping centre. It's worth spending a morning here, especially on a Saturday. Every other Saturday there is a farmer's market.

Understand

Cirencester

Cirencester is the Roman capital of the Cotswolds, Roman Corinium. People are very friendly and it's easy to get in. The town is famous for its polo connections in the Cirencester Great Park, and for the Royal Agricultural College. It's about 90 miles west of London and in 2011 had a population of 19,076.

• Town council wrbsite

Get in

• 1 Kemble train station, Windmill Hill, Kemble, Gloucestershire, GL7 6AW (4 mi (6.4 km) southwest of Cirencester). Cirencester has no train station, however, Kemble has connections to Swindon and London Paddington to the east, and Gloucester and Cheltenham to the north. (updated Dec 2023)

There's usually one bus an hour to Cirencester from Swindon, Cheltenham and Stroud.

There is a National Express Bus service to Heathrow Airport and London Victoria from the Beeches Car Park (near the town center).

Parking in Cirencester has become more expensive, but there are many car parks near the centre. There is also parking on the high street, but not on market days.

Get around

The town is small enough to walk around on foot, and was pedestrianised in 2017.

See

St John Baptist Church

• 1 The Roman Amphitheatre, Cotswold Avenue, Cirencester. On the outskirts of the town is an original mound formation used for entertainment during Roman times. In winter the locals like to use for tobogganing! Owned by English Heritage.  
• 2 Corinium Museum, Park Street, Cirencester, ☏ +44 1285 655611. M-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su 2PM-5PM. Excellent visitor attraction in the town centre about the town's Roman heritage.  
• 3 Parish Church of St John the Baptist. Called the 'Cathedral of the Cotswolds', this is an impressive large church right in the centre of the town.  
• 4 Abbey Grounds (Behind the Church). 9AM-5PM. This is a large park that was a Catholic Abbey before its destruction by Henry VIII. 

Kemble

A small village 5 miles southwest of Cirencester:

• 5 Kemble railway station, Windmill Hill, Kemble, GL7 6AW. Very picturesque, and frequently wins national awards for its traditional look.  
• 6 All Saints' church, Limes Rd, Kemble, GL7 6AE. Town's parish church that dates back to 1250. 

Do

• 1 Outdoor Swimming Pool (Near Gloucester Street). Swim outdoors in the summer 
• 2 New Brewery Arts, Brewery Court (Off Cricklade Street - by the Brewery Car park). M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM. A centre for contemporary craft in the Cotswolds: a gallery, shop, cafe and on-site makers studios, all open to the public. Regular workshop and events. Buildings house a lift, ramps and aerial walkways giving over 90% wheelchair access. The Barrel Store has specially adapted rooms for guests with access needs. Disabled toilet facilities are available on the ground floor. Disabled car parking is available in the adjoining car park. Assistance dogs are welcome. Free. 
• 3 Cotswold Gliding Club, Aston Down Airfield, Cowcombe Ln, Chalford, Stroud, GL6 8HR, ☏ +44 1285 760415.  

Buy

There are the typical high-street chains here, but there are some good special local shops in Dyer Street, the Market Place and in Black Jack Street behind the church.

A great locally-owned fresh fish shop, New Wave, in Dyer Street, sells quality sustainable Cornish fish and shellfish, as well as homemade fishpies, fishcakes and potted shrimp.

Eat

Budget

• Greasy Joes (on the edge of Cirencester near the large Tesco towards Swindon). Cheap trucker fry ups. 
• 1 West Corning Pasty Company, Cricklade Street. English chain restaurant selling warm pasties for a few pounds. Close enough to the Abby Grounds for a quick picnic on a summer day. 

Mid-range

• 2 Pizza Express. Chain pizza restaurant. 
• 3 Thai Emerald. 
• 4 Tatyan's. Chinese. 
• 5 The Tavern Inn, Kemble, GL7 6AX (next to the train station), ☏ +44 1285 770216. pub 

Splurge

• 6 Jesse's Bistro, Black Jack Street, ☏ +44 1285 653387. A really good bistro experience, connected to their own butcher shop on Black Jack street. £15 and up. 
• 7 Soushi, 12 Castle Street, ☏ +44 1285 641414, info@soushi.co.uk. Japanese restaurant with good quality fish although other ingredients such as miso seem to be instant varieties. Although not as good as your options in London, this is probably the best place in Cirencester for East Asian food. £9 and up for lunch. 

Drink

• 1 The Crown, 17 West Market Place, GL7 2NH (facing the front of the church, it will be directly left of you), ☏ +44 1285 653206. M-Th 11:30AM-11PM, F 11:30AM-midnight, Sa 10AM-midnight, Su noon-11PM. Reasonable beer. Unexciting chain pub. (updated Sep 2018)
• Somewhere Else, Castle Street. Pub-atmosphere bar, fantastic tapas, good late night atmosphere. Friendly. (updated Sep 2018)
• Twelve Bells. Good food, good beer and a friendly cosy environment. (updated Sep 2018)
• The Wheatsheaf, Cricklade St. The place to watch sport (updated Sep 2018)
• The Oddfellows, Chester St. Refurbished but ordinary beers. Walking distance of town centre. (updated Sep 2018)
• The Rock Nightclub!. In the shopping piazza.. Where everyone ends up; even Prince Harry has been spotted here! (updated Sep 2018)
• The Bees Knees, Watermoor Rd. The place to watch rugby. (updated Sep 2018)
• 2 The Black Horse (Castle Street). Real ale. Great place to meet friends. (updated Sep 2016)
• 3 The Inn at Fossebridge, Fossebridge GL54 3JS (on A429), ☏ +44 1285 720721. Daily noon-11PM. 17th-century coaching inn with garden dining area, dog-friendly. Has rooms, B&B double £110. (updated Jul 2020)

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Abbey Home Farm, Burford Road GL7 5HF, ☏ +44 1285 640441. Off-grid campsite next to organic farm shop. No dogs as this is a working farm with livestock. Tent £16. (updated Apr 2021)

Mid-range

• The Old Bungalow Guest House. 6 quality bed and breakfast en suite rooms (2 of which are located on the ground floor). 2 self-catering properties also available. Secure gated parking and Wifi. A few minutes walk from the centre of this historic market town. 
• Stratton House Hotel, Gloucester Road, GL7 2LE, ☏ +44 1285 651761. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Close to town, good for a break in the Cotswolds. From £45. 
• The Old Brewhouse. The Old Brewhouse in Cirencester is a delightful 17th-century town house bed and breakfast full of charm and character, sympathetically restored and refurbished offering high quality accommodation. 
• Le Spa Hotel, in Stratton, short walk from town centre, Cotswold Manor House with superb spa and events facilities.
• The Fleece Hotel, High street. 1651 restaurant.
• Village Pub, Barnsley GL7 5EF (on B4425, 100 yards north of Barnsley House Hotel), ☏ +44 1285 740421. Charming Cotswold pub with six rooms. B&B double £120. (updated Aug 2020)
• 2 Wild Thyme & Honey, Ampney Crucis GL7 5RS (on A417), ☏ +44 1285 851806. Attractive country inn with 24 rooms by the village green, great dining. B&B double £140. (updated Jul 2022)
• 3 Well Cottage Bed and Breakfast, ☏ +44 1285 770212. (updated Apr 2016)

Splurge

• 4 De Vere Cotswold Water Park, Lake 6, ☏ +44 1285 864000, fax: +44 1285 864001, WaterParkReservations@devere.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Four Pillars Hotel Group. 4-star hotel and apartments on the Lakes at South Cerney, outside Cirencester. It has 328 bedrooms, 21 meeting and event suites, a spa, bar and restaurant. £58-119. (updated Dec 2016)
• Talbot Inn, 14 Victoria Road (from centre of town, at church, head East along road 200 yards to junction with Victoria Road), ☏ +44 1285 653760. About £100 for a double. 
• King's Head Hotel, 24 Market Place GL7 2NR, ☏ +44 1285 700900. Town centre coaching inn, part dates back to 17th century, but all given a swish makeover in 2014. B&B double from £120. (updated Jun 2020)
• 5 The Pig (formerly Barnsley House), Barnsley, Cirencester GL7 5EE (on B4425), ☏ +44 1285 740000. This upscale country hotel in a 17th-century manor has become part of the Pig chain, and is closed until summer 2024 for refurbishment. (updated Jan 2024)
• 6 Swan Hotel, Bibury GL7 5NW (on B4425), ☏ +44 1285 740695. Lovely old hotel in 17th-century coaching inn on the river side, with good dining. B&B double £200. (updated Aug 2020)

Connect

Cirencester and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of July 2022, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• Charming Cotswolds villages surround the town.
• Cheltenham is a wonderful Georgian spa town.
• Witney is where you come into lower pastoral country towards Oxford.

Routes through Cirencester

Cheltenham ← Colesbourne ←	N  S	→ merges with
Warwick and Leamington Spa ← Bourton-on-the-Water ←	NE  SE	→ Kemble → Malmesbury
Stroud ← Chalford ←	W  SE	→ Cricklade → Swindon
Gloucester ←	N  E	→ Faringdon → merges with (Oxford)