This post features: Cirencester, Newent, Berkeley, Dyrham Park, Bibury, Bourton on the Water, Tewkesbury, Gloucester and Chipping Campden
One day I’ll get around to adding Cheltenham, Stroud and Stow in the Wold…
Cirencester
The Romans established a town here in about 75ad, calling it Corinium. By the second centrury AD it was the second largest town in Britain and the remains of a Roman amphitheatre can still be seen. By the time of The Domesday Book it was known as Cyrescestre. Locals often shorten the town’s name to “Ciren“, which is sweet…
The Church of St John the Baptist:
Dubbed “the cathedral of the Cotswolds” it is one of the largest parish churches in the country. It dates back to the 12th century, when the Abbey of St Mary was founded. Much has changed since then: the Lady Chapel dates from around 1250, the tower from around 1400 and the porch from about 1490. The nave was rebuilt between 1515 and 1530…
The Marketplace:
I stayed at The Fleece – very nice, although the beer offering is dismal…Setting up for the Mop Fair – one of the oldest fairs in the country, with its origins in the 12th century…
The Abbey:
Cirencester Abbey was the largest of the five Augustinian monastries in the country, having been founded by Henry I in 1117. It was destroyed in 1539 on the orders of Henry VIII. This archway is all that remains…
The Corinium Museum:
Excellent museum with lots of Roman artefactsSome fine mosaics on display
The Lock Up:
Originally built 1804 and located in Gloucester Street, where it was used as a lock-up for those accused of crime, drunks and those creating a nuisance. Moved to it’s present site (and re-erected) in 1837, to serve as a punishment facility for the workhouse. Abandoned when the workhouse was closed. Restored by the Cotswold District Council in the 1980s and completely ignored today…
The Amphitheatre:
The Bathurst Estate:
The Bathurst Estate woodlands comprise over 3000 acres, including the adjoining Hailey, Oakley and Overley Woods which together form one of the largest and most beautiful woodland tracts in the Cotswolds. These, along with the woodlands in the Sapperton Valley to the west of the Estate, are all ancient semi-natural woodlands with a wide range of trees, flora and fauna. It is also home to the largest yew hedge in the world…
The yew hedge was planted between 1710-1720, is 14m high, 7m wide and 130m long. It is trimmed every August… The entrance to the Bathurst EstateThe entry is £4 per adult at the time of writing (October 2025)
The Town:
Newent
Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle – Berkeley University in California is named after one of the Berkeley family – this castle is notorious for the murder of King Edward IIDr Jenner’s HouseThe vines here are over 220 years old and produce the delicious Black Hamburg grapes – unusual in the UK, sadly….St Mary’s Church dates from around the same era as the castle – 1170adBerkeley villageBerkeley village
Dyrham Park
According to the woman in the ticket office this is the back of Dyrham Park, a National Trust propertyAnd so, by default, this must be the front of the house if the lady in the ticket office is correct Dyrham Park, a National Trust property
Bibury
Those Cottages:
An image of Arlington Row, now managed by the National Trust, features in UK passportsBibury – I’d never heard of Bibury until I read about it in Tom Fort’s book The Village News – whereupon I discovered it is famous – although perhaps better known to Chinese tourists than the BritishBibury
St Mary’s:
St Mary’s Church, BiburySt Mary’s Church, BiburyThis window was designed by Karl Parsons (1884 – 1934) and was featured in the 1992 Christmas 1st class stamp (24p)…Bibury
The Village:
The River Coln, BiburyBiburyThe River Coln joins the Thames at LechladeBiburyBiburyBiburyInterestingly, the National Trust misspells “Coln” by adding an “e”…
Bourton on the Water
Bourton-on-the-Water styles itself as the Venice of the Cotswolds…Bourton-on-the-Water styles itself as the Venice of the Cotswolds…The phone box and the post box once a focal point of village life now fast becoming redundant…St Lawrence’s Church is unusual in having a domeIn 1784 the Norman church was largely replaced with one in the neo-classical style, with further changes in the 1870’s…
Tewkesbury
The Abbey:
Tewkesbury Abbey – building started in 1102 and was consecrated in 1121. In 1540 the Benedictine monastery was destroyed in the dissolution and the abbey church was sold to parishioners for £453. The land around the abbey is protected from development by a trust originally funded by an American benefactor…The tomb of Hugh, Baron le Despenser who died in 1349The Warwick Chantry dates from 1430 and funded by Isabella, Countess of Warwick in honour of herself and her two husbands Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Worcester and, confusingly, Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick
The Town Centre:
The Town Hall was built in 1788 in anticipation of a visit by King George IIIThe Tudor House Hotel dates back to the 16th centuryThe Cross House, a glorious 15th century building, is huge and delightfully higgledy-piggledyThe Berkeley Arms, a Wadworth’s pub, dates from 1467, while the building to the right dates from 1339, making it the oldest known building in Tewkesbury (after the Abbey)…The Royal Hop Pole, a Wetherspoon pub, is an amalgamation of 15th and 18th century buildingsThe Tourist Information centre is housed in a 17th century buildingThe Bell, a Greene King pub, dates from 1696A bit odd to see this – Tesco stopped giving Green Shield stamps in 1973 and the company re-branded itself as Argos – the café has an odd assortment of grocery items dating from the 1960’s and 70’s on display in the window…
Riverside:
The Borough Flour Mill dates from 1889…The Abbey Mill dates from 1793…The River AvonTewkesbury surrounded by flood water in February, 2022
John Moore Museum and Baptist Chapel:
This Baptist burial ground dates from 1655The old Baptist ChapelThe building dates from 1470 but didn’t become a Baptist Chapel until the 1620’s – details are sketchy as Nonconformist churches were illegal until the Toleration Act of 1689…Upstairs in the Baptist Chapel, which is also part of the John Moore MuseumThis block was built around 1410 and was due to be demolished in the 1960’s in order to build a supermarket. It was saved by local people who bought houses in the block thereby making demolition impractical. Today, part of the block is the John Moore MuseumThese timbers date from 1410 and form part of the staircase in the Merchant’s House – part of the John Moore Museum
Gloucester
The Cathedral:
Gloucester Cathedral is a delight, I’d forgotten how lovely it is – although there has been a church on this site since around 680, the current cathedral dates from 1089 with changes in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Following the dissolution of the monastery in 1540, the abbey became a cathedral in 1541…The eastern end of the Cathedral was built from around 1330 in the then new Perpendicular Gothic style and it is this that sets the cathedral apart for me – it’s just glorious…The tomb of Edward II, who was murdered in Berkeley Castle in 1327. The tomb was commissioned by his son Edward III in 1330 and it was that spurred on the construction of the east end of the cathedral in the glorious gothic perpendicular styleThis memorial to Elizabeth Williams in repose dates from 1622Margerie Clent, on the other hand, remains seated in this memorial of 1623This is the tomb of Robert of Normandy, the eldest son of William the Conqueror. He was imprisoned by his brother, Henry I, and died in Cardiff Castle in 1134This is the Machen memorial to Thomas and wife Christian Machen – they had seven sons and six daughters…These windows are by Tom Denny and were installed in this little side chapel in 2014These are also by Tom Denny – https://www.thomasdenny.co.uk/This chapel was painted in an Italian style in 1866-68The cloisters are wonderful – I think they’re the finest in the country
Other Churches:
St Michael’s Tower dates from 1460 is all that remains of St Michael the Archangel church. The flag is the flag of St Michael – I didn’t know he had a flag St Mary de Crypt and the Crypt School date from 1539The back of St Mary de Crypt from the churchyardInside St Mary de CryptThe entrance to the Crypt SchoolAll that remains of Greyfriars, the Franciscan Monastery that was destroyed in 1538 during the dissolutionSt Nicholas’ Church dates from the 12th century – it is no longer used…
Medieval Gloucester:
St Mary’s Gate dates from the 13th centuryIn addition to the cathedral, Gloucester has another gem: The New Inn dates from 1455 – it doesn’t look that interesting from the front with the two shops spoiling the aesthetic – however…It is a galleried coaching inn and regarded as the finest in the country. One of its claims to fame is that Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen here in 1553 – it didn’t work out well as she and her husband were beheaded at the Tower of London in 1554 on the orders of Queen Mary…It is still a hotel – it would be nice to stay here – the canopy is a 2020 addition to help comply with regulations relating to social distancing and the sale of alcohol with food only…The Dick Whittington pub is in the 15th century St Nicholas House that belonged to the Whittington family whose most famous son became Lord Mayor of London in 1397 (some sites refer to this being a 13th century building, but Historic England and the Gloucester Civic Trust both refer to it as 15th century)The Ye Olde Fish Shoppe building dates from 1530 – clearly it hasn’t been a fish and chip shop all that timeThis building dates from 1520 and is known locally as the Raven Tavern even though the Raven Tavern was actually nearby in Southgate Street…The Bishop Hooper’s lodgings is now a folk museum. John Hooper was bishop from 1551-55 before being burnt at the stake on the orders of Queen Mary for refusing to renounce his faith
The City Centre:
The Imperial Inn looks like it should have a fine Victorian interior – sadly it doesn’tThe museumRobert Raikes House, now a Sam Smith’s pub, is the 16th century house of Robert Raikes a local philanthropistA 17th century house built for Thomas Yate, apothecary and alderman of Gloucester. Restored in 1992…College Court
Docklands:
Gloucester docks and quayside area is being restored and renovated…The National Waterways Museum run by the Canal and River TrustInside the museumSadly The Whitesmiths Arms, an Arkell’s pub down by the docks, was closed…
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden is one of the 40 so called “gem towns” in England. It’s easy to see why as it is lovely and the High Street is unspoiled. It is a very early example of town planning. The Lord of the Manor, Hugh de Gonville was granted a market charter by King Henry II in 1185 and set out the plan of the town. The Cotswolds became prosperous in the 14th and 15th centuries and Campden, in particular, thrived. The wool from the long-backed Cotswold Lion sheep was prized across Europe. The wool industry around Campden was at its height from the late 13th to the early 15th century. After that the export of wool declined as the weaving of high quality cloth in England rose. The Cotswold’s and Campden especially, could not support a large scale cloth industry due to the lack of an adequate water supply. It also became increasingly profitable to supply meat as well as wool and by Victorian days, the main interest was in meat. Silk spinning began to increase in popularity and in the mid 18th Century, there are records of silk spinning in the Silk Mill in Sheep St and Campden was again known for the quality of its produce. However, the silk industry collapsed in Britain during the 1860’s. Around this time the agricultural depression also had an increasing effect and farm workers were moving to the bigger towns to work in factories there. Campden remained stagnant until the arrival of C R Ashbee and his Guild of Handicraft which created work and employment for 100 or so families who moved with him from East London and brought prosperity back to the town…
St James’ Church:
St James’ Church is a grand early perpendicular wool church dating from the 15th century…
The Old School and Market:
The old village schoolThe old village schoolThe old market hall was built by Sir Baptist Hicks, a wealthy wool merchant, in 1627 and is now protected by the National Trust.
The High Street (B4081):
The Old Silk Mill:
The old silk mill – tucked away off Sheep Street. Early in the 20th Century, Chipping Campden became known as a centre for the Cotswold Arts and Crafts movement, following the move of Charles Robert Ashbee with the members of his Guild and School of Handicraft from the East End of London in 1902.
