Things to do
in Cirencester

Cirencester rewards a slow explore, and there's enough within its own streets to fill a full day. The Corinium Museum tells the story of the Roman town of Corinium, which English Heritage describes as second only to London in size and importance in Roman Britain. The Cirencester Roman Amphitheatre lies about half a mile from the Market Place as the crow flies. What you see there is a set of large grassed earthworks rather than standing masonry; entry is free, there is no visitor centre or ticket desk, and dogs on leads are welcome.

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist dominates the Market Place, a reminder of the wool trade that once brought the town its wealth. Behind it, the Abbey Grounds are a public park on the site of the Augustinian Abbey of St Mary. The abbey itself has gone: the twelfth-century Norman Arch is the only part still standing, and a stretch of the Roman town wall also survives in the park.

Cirencester Antiques Centre, a multi-dealer centre in the town centre, is worth an hour or two if browsing collectables appeals, and the Barn Theatre on Beeches Road is a short walk from the Market Place. Cirencester Park is covered under walks below, because you now need a pass to enter. Before setting off, the Cirencester Local Information Centre on Dyer Street, run by the town council, is a sensible first stop for orientation.

Most of Cirencester's places to eat and drink are in the town centre itself, within a few minutes' walk of the Market Place. For a pub, The Bear Inn is on Dyer Street, and The Hop Kettle is a micropub in the Woolmarket run by the Hop Kettle brewery, with cask and keg beer and a pop-up street food kitchen. For a sit-down meal, Henry's on Gosditch Street is a seafood and grill restaurant, Sultan serves Indian food from a first-floor room on Dyer Street, and Sam & Jak on Cricklade Street is a restaurant, café and wine bar in one. The Long Table is a social enterprise serving seasonal meals on a pay-as-you-can basis, along with coffee and cake.

For something lighter, Café Mosaic is in the Woolmarket, Diversitea is a tea house in the Corn Hall off the Market Place, Lynwood & Co Cafe is on the Market Place, and He Says She Waffles in Templar Mews has made waffles its speciality. Opening days vary, so check before you go.

Places to stay are spread between the town centre and its edges, so it is worth deciding first whether you want to walk to the Market Place or have more space around you. Stratton House Hotel is an independent, family-owned hotel with a spa and a restaurant in Stratton, about a mile out on the north side of town. If you would rather stay on a pitch, Cirencester Park Club Campsite on Stroud Road takes non-members as well as members, and guests can ask at check-in for a pass that gives access on foot to Cirencester Park during their stay. This page also lists the other hotels and bed and breakfasts we hold nearby; check availability and what each offers directly with them.

The easiest green space is the Abbey Grounds, the public park behind the parish church, which suits a short stroll without leaving the centre. The Cirencester Roman Amphitheatre is another free option, a grassed earthwork you can walk around and over, with dogs welcome on leads.

Cirencester Park is the big one, but it is private parkland belonging to the Bathurst Estate and you need a pass to walk there during its opening hours. The estate sells day passes and has a separate pass for local residents; check its own website for how to get one. Dogs must stay on permitted routes and on leads unless signs say otherwise. The gates close at the end of the day, so check the hours before you set off.

For a longer walk, the Thames & Severn Way is a long-distance path that follows the old canals, where it can, between the River Severn at Framilode and the Thames at Lechlade. It does not come into Cirencester itself: it passes south of the town through Siddington. It is a route to plan with a map rather than an afternoon stroll.

Cirencester acts as a hub for a scatter of smaller communities around it. Stratton sits closest, about 1.2 miles from the centre and joined to the town on its north side; Stratton House Hotel is here, but the shops, cafés and restaurants are in Cirencester's own centre rather than in Stratton. Baunton is about 1.5 miles north and Siddington about 1.6 miles to the south, both measured in a straight line. A little further out, villages and hamlets including Wiggold, Daglingworth, Coates, Ampney Crucis, Bagendon, Ewen, Harnhill, Shorncote, Duntisbourne Rouse, Driffield, South Cerney and Ampney St. Peter all lie within about four miles as the crow flies. Cirencester has no railway station; the nearest is at Kemble, about four miles away, so plan how you will get between villages before you set out.