Cirencester began life as Corinium Dobunnorum, a Roman city whose 2nd-century walls encompassed the second-largest area of any in Britain at the time. Almost 20 centuries later, the most panoramic window into its past can be found at the Corinium Museum, whose new interactive galleries will open imminently – pandemic allowing – following six years and a £1.87-million investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, sponsorships and donations. It showcases the history of the Cotswolds, starting with the hunter-gatherers of the Stone Age, who settled here 700,000 years ago, and continuing through the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages to the early Roman period.
One part of the museum’s extensive collection, though, has being reliably drawing the crowds for well over a century. The building of the first Corinium Museum was funded by the 4th Earl Bathurst to house two mosaics, some of the finest Roman survivals in Britain, which were discovered in 1849 during sewerage works in the town.
The Bathurst family have contributed to modern-day Cirencester in more prominent ways too. It was the first earl who laid out the now Grade I-listed Cirencester Park. The estate comprises 15,000 acres and was partially designed by poet and landscape gardener, Alexander Pope.
Venturing away from its structured heart, rolling farmland offers you the chance to see the Cotswold countryside while staying in town, and new walking routes outline the best-waymarked footpaths.
Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2021 de The Official Magazine Britain.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2021 de The Official Magazine Britain.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Take The High Road
The North Coast 500 is an epic route that takes you past some of the country’s most spellbinding scenery
Where To Stay In 2021
Whether it’s a country house escape, a rustic bolthole or a sophisticated city stay, you’ll find your perfect getaway on these pages
The EMPEROR'S ISLE
Tresco was once a treeless and windswept island, the haunt of smugglers. Dramatically transformed by one man’s vision, it is now one of Britain’s most beautiful spots
Hidden Cornwall
Discover the beautiful, beguiling and rugged land of West Penwith in the far reaches of Cornwall
Wonders of Wales
With its wild cliffs, pretty coves and puffins galore, St Brides Bay holds the best of Pembrokeshire
Yorkshire's MOORS & SHORES
Equal parts mystical moor and secluded seashore, the Yorkshire coast beats some of Britain’s more traditional summer destinations hands down
PEAK PERFORMANCE
From heathery moors to rolling hills and underground caverns, the Peak District is home to some of the most majestic landscapes in the country
Culture CAPITAL
After a year of stop-start openings, London's museums are welcoming visitors back in 2021 with an array of blockbuster exhibitions
HISTORIC NORFOLK
Spend time exploring this peaceful county, whose stately homes are a grand counterpoint to its unadorned rural landscapes
1066 COUNTRY
England’s sunny south coast has a rich heritage, harbouring ancient castles and evocative landscapes that tell the story of the Battle of Hastings and beyond