A queer road trip around the Cotswolds: Pt 3 - Cirencester, the Capital of the Cotswolds
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It's from here you can follow any of these ancient Roman Roads in every direction, westwards on Ermin Street to Gloucester, eastwards on Akeman Street to London (roughly back in the direction you have be travelling from if you've been following Part 1 and Part 2 from Oxford), or North and South along the Fosse Way to either Bath or towards Leicester.
The absolute best of the Cotswolds lays along this ancient road northwards through the central Cotswolds, past wool towns and ancient villages that sprang up along the Fosse Way in the middle-ages using the long standing road as a super-highway to markets and ports beyond.
But it's not just a journey through ancient history, this part of the Cotswolds is alive and well, and one of the best places in the country to get to grips with English culture. So whether you're looking for picture perfect villages, luxury hotels, eccentric traditions, or fantastic food and drink, look no further than this stretch of the Cotswolds between Cirencester and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Index
Central Cirencester
Roman Cirencester
Cirencester Park
Medieval Cirencester
What to eat and drink
Where to stay
Cirencester
The so-called 'Capital of the Cotswolds' stuns even on first glance. As you enter the marketplace, with multi-coloured shopfronts, welcoming cafes, and huge ornate church (arguably one of the finest examples of late gothic architecture in the whole of the country) it's difficult not to get totally swept up and stay put just here. Seek out Lynwood Coffee for refreshment, and one of the finest views from any coffeeshop around (I might be biased).
But Cirencester has a huge amount of history just waiting to be uncovered, and for this you'll need to step out of the marketplace and follow one of the bustling, narrow lanes - Blackjack Street - towards the Corinium Museum, passing several courtyards filled with independent shops and eateries on route.
Journey back to the world of gladiators and senators in Roman Corinium
Cirencester may be the Capital of the Cotswolds today, but it was Capital of the Roman province of Britannia Prima a long time ago, and so is home to some of the finest roman remains and archaeology in the whole of the UK. The Corinium Museum, named as such after the original Latin name of the city here Corinium Dubunnorum, traces the history of the town from prehistoric and stone age archaeology from nearby Rodmarton Long Barrow, to the medieval and even present day. But the true gem in the crown is the huge and packed Roman galleries, showcasing internationally important mosaics, column bases, statues, grave goods, and inscriptions, all found within the town and surrounds, and all in one of the finest galleries dedicated to Roman History in the country.
If you're looking for a more physical outdoors exploration of Cirencester's Roman past, check out the huge earth banks of the Roman Amphitheatre on the edge of town (around a 15 minute walk from the Corinium Museum), or the old Roman Gatehouse in the Abbey Grounds park on the opposite edge of town (another 15 minute walk in the other direction). Both sites are freely accessible and allow you to get up close and personal with the scale of the buildings that were once here nearly 2,000 years ago.
Pretend you're on a promenade with an aristocrat in Cirencester Park
From the front of the Corinium Museum it is difficult to miss the huge gatehouse and yew hedge nearby (believe it or not, that's the largest yew hedge in the world), which announces the start of the enormous landscaped grounds of Cirencester Park. This huge parkland was designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown - the same as Blenheim Palace in Part 2 of this blog series.
It is well worth a walk around, and like any Capability Brown garden, includes many hidden follies, but it's crowning glory is unarguably The Broad Ride, a huge stretching avenue of ancient trees stretching 5 miles to the village of Sapperton well beyond the horizon. It climbs slowly uphill between huge horse chestnut and beech trees, the first mile demarcated by two large stone pillars either side of the ride. At this point the views back towards the centre of Cirencester are second to none, and the path splits in either direction to take you deeper into the park. Turning left from this point takes you in the direction of the Old Kennels, the park's main visitor centre, with an upmarket café-cum-brunch destination, Roots+Seeds, Pizza restaurant, Cattivo, and even a microbrewery (and supplier of the beer for our wedding), Corinium Ales.
Get to grips with Cirencester's woolly and wealthy medieval period in the town centre
Back in the centre, plenty of signs still exist of Cirencester's importance during the middle-ages. Most noticeable of these signs is the enormous, cathedral-like, parish church dominating the marketplace like a giant, golden, gothic wedding-cake. It's often open for the public, and is fascinating for anyone with even the slightest interest in different architectural-styles, having been built, and extended, and extended again during the boom-and-bust of the height of the wool trading era, each extension bringing a different architectural style to the building.
The marketplace itself used to be a tangle of medieval streets, which were demolished centuries ago to form the large public square which is now home three times a week to a farmers and crafters market, attracting a huge array of makers and producers from the local community, and is a great way to buy authentic souvenirs and support genuinely local businesses at the same time. If you're not yet tired of crafts, the Corn Hall a little further to the east of the marketplace also holds weekly craft markets and is worth a stroll around to nose at locally made art, ceramics, and jewellery.
Indulge in some of England's finest modern cuisine in one of the Cotswolds' foodiest towns
Cirencester has a bustling culinary scene and punches well above its weight for its size in regards to good places to drink and dine. By far our favourite spot is Sam & Jak on the corner of the marketplace and Cricklade Street, a light, two story restaurant and wine bar specialising in a seasonal and local menu, and offering a take on modern British cuisine in beautiful surroundings. It really is the place to be seen as well as eat, so make sure you book well in advance.
The pair also own and run the edge of town gastropub The Plough, which has a small but perfectly formed menu of pub classics and offerings from their own smokehouse, including perfectly aged and smoked Bavette Stake with Chimichurri (which I would heartily recommend to anyone who likes any form of steak). The Plough is also a local favourite for their Sunday Roast menu, as well as genuine local bonhomie roaring fire, and seemingly always a Sunday pint for dog-walkers, so, as before, book in advance.
In the centre of town, tucked into the arcade leading from the marketplace to the Corn Hall is Made By Bob, an excellently named brasserie in a comfortable and stylish open-kitchen space. It's perennially awarded and recommended by the Michelin Guide and always seems to be busy, so booking in advance is also recommended.
For traditional pub fayre done well, either The Fleece, or The Golden Cross on Blackjack Street offer the traditional pub experience, with hearty portions and plenty of local beers and ciders on tap, and local gins behind the bar to sup on while you eat. As you'd imagine from two Cotswolds pubs, the food is a grade higher than your usual Greene King, but expect to pay the prices for this too.
For coffee and tea lovers, you have an abundance of great options here. My personal favourite is edge of town Rave Coffee because, put simply, I am a coffee snob. The choice here is fantastic, with plenty of different coffee roasts to choose from, in a modern unit with the roastery onsite and visible through the glass walls of the cafe. Pick up a bag of beans here if you are a whole-bean or cafetiere lover and you wont be disappointed.
For those not wanting to leave the centre of town, Jacks and Keiths, at either end of Blackjack Street, offer two versions of quintessentially English tea-rooms. Jacks is bright and airy, with a conservatory, courtyard garden and fantastic selection of cakes and lunch options. Keiths is the vision of an old school tea-room with large tea-cadies adorning shelves behind the counter, with an endless variety of teas and coffee beans to choose from, as well as perfect cakes and scones.
For the craft beer lover in your life, The Hop Kettle, in the Woolmarket, is a small-but-growing local brewery with a perennially great choice of beers on tap (and fortunately for us, a great selection of draft ales that are also gluten-free). The inside is a little pokey, but on warm summer nights, there are masses of tables outside for a pint and a catch up, England-style.
Bed down in a luxury spa hotel, or sleep in history in the town centre
Many of the best options to sleep in Cirencester are on the edge of town, such as Wild Thyme and Honey, one of the UK's best boutique hotels, with 24 rooms tranquil rooms and an award winning restaurant and bar. Or for even more luxury, check into The Pig in the Cotswolds at Barnsley, complete with an incredible local menu, modern spa, and treatments to die for.
In Cirencester itself, some of the the best options include The King's Head Hotel, an old coaching inn in the centre of town with a cosy bar, unearthed roman mosaics, and spa treatments, or The Fleece, virtually opposite The King's Head on the marketplace, which has modern bedrooms in a classic wood-beamed Tudor inn.
Doubles at Wild Thyme and Honey start at £180 per night, The Pig from £200 per night with access to the Spa includes. For those wanting to stay in the centre of Cirencester doubles at The King's Head start at £240 per night, and The Fleece start at £125 per night.
Continue the Cotswold Road Trip:
Pt 4: Central Cotswolds
Pt 5: Stratford-Upon-Avon and Northern Cotswolds
Pt 6: Cheltenham and Southern Cotswolds
Pt 7: Bath
