natural wonder
Cotswold Water Park
A 40-square-mile network of 180 lakes formed by gravel extraction, now used for watersports and wildlife.
8 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Cirencester
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Cirencester
Cirencester works well as a base: 10 minutes from Coates, 8km from Cotswold Water Park.
Cirencester is in England, United Kingdom, with about 20,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Coates, about 4 km away.
Cirencester ( SY-rən-SEST-ə, occasionally SIS-it-ə) is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the Thames. Cirencester is the eighth largest settlement in Gloucestershire and the largest town within the Cotswolds. It is the homeRead more
of the Royal Agricultural University, the oldest agricultural college in the English-speaking world, founded in 1840. The town had a population of 20,229 in 2021. The town is 18 miles (29 km) north-west of Swindon, 18 miles (29 km) south-east of Gloucester, 37 miles (60 km) west of Oxford and 39 miles (63 km) north-east of Bristol.
The Roman name for the town was Corinium, which is thought to have been associated with the ancient British tribe of the Dobunni, having the same root word as the River Churn. The earliest known reference to the town was by Ptolemy in AD 150. The town's Corinium Museum has an extensive Roman collection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Cirencester?
Within an hour or so of Cirencester: Cotswold Water Park (8 km), Arlington Row (10 km), Bibury (11 km), The Classic Motor Hub (11 km).
Are there any good drives near Cirencester?
The nearest famous roads are A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth), Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135) and Gospel Pass.
Where is Cirencester?
Cirencester is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Coates.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 20,229
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.7193, -1.9714
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Cirencester
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Arlington Row
A terrace of 17th-century weavers' cottages beside the Coln in Bibury, once a wool store and among the most photographed buildings in England.
10 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Bibury
Charming Cotswolds village famously described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, home to the iconic Arlington Row.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
The Classic Motor Hub
A curated classic car showroom and events space set in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Bibury.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Painswick
The 'Queen of the Cotswolds', a steep wool town whose churchyard holds 99 clipped yew trees and a Rococo garden nearby.
17 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Bourton-on-the-Water
Picturesque Cotswolds village known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds' for its elegant low bridges spanning the River Windrush.
24 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cleeve Hill
The highest point of the Cotswolds at 330 m, an open common above Cheltenham with views to the Malverns and Wales.
24 km · about 25 min drive
castle
Sudeley Castle
A Tudor castle near Winchcombe, the only private home where a queen of England, Katherine Parr, lies buried.
25 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Cirencester
- 24 kmCleeve HillThe highest point of the Cotswolds at 330 m, an open common above Cheltenham with views to the Malverns and Wales.
- 48 kmSymonds Yat RockA famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
- 48 kmDevil's PulpitA narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
- 49 kmA466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
- 54 kmClifton Suspension BridgeIsambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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