Cirencester is an elegant market town on the River Churn, and is often referred to as the “capital of the Cotswolds”. Its Cotswolds stone buildings, many of them dating from the Victorian era, are a very pretty bunch, spreading out from the Gothic porch of the Church of St. John the Baptist, and from the market place, where markets still happen on Mondays and Fridays. Visitors will find some of the best places to stay in Cirencester within the old Roman walls, but some are now outside, in Cirencester’s pretty surrounds. When hunting for the best accommodation options our Gurus found some very charming inns, pubs and restaurants-with-rooms, as well as a very centrally located spa hotel, and a wonderfully romantic country house escape.
Cirencester is perfectly located for exploring some of the Cotswolds' most charming towns and villages, and some of the prettiest accessible countryside in the region. Being closely linked to the M4 and M5, means the best places to stay in Cirencester make a great mini-break destination. The town has a pleasant collection of galleries, delis, tea rooms and boutiques lining the narrow streets, and its well known theatres attract impressive productions. We recommend a visit to the Brewery Arts Centre, where you can see glassmaking and other crafts being created in a series of studios; a stroll through the Abbey Grounds, once an Augustine monastery; and an exploration of Cirencester Great Park, which is one of the finest landscape gardens in England.