CORINIUM TO AQUAE SULIS DAY ONE

CIRENCESTER TO BATH MAINLY ALONG THE FOSSE WAY

16 MARCH 2015 EXPLORING CIRENCESTER

On this trip I was accompanied by Dave Bond and we set out to explore the Cotswolds taking in most of the Fosse Way which has not been upgraded to a major road. It runs from Lincoln to Topsham near Exeter and was one of the main arteries of the Roman Empire. At Cirencester was the junction with Ermin Street which runs from Gloucester to Silchester.

To get to Cirencester there is an hourly bus service from Swindon Bus Station  which is five minutes walk from the Railway Station. It is the 51 from Bay 16 and after 56 minutes arrives at the Corn Hall in Market Place.

This is the church  of  St John the Baptist opposite the bus stop. We arrived at lunch time and after and intake of ale and food at the Fleece in Market Place went to the most superb Corinium Museum www.coriniummuseum.org which takes one through the evolution of Cirencester with many fantastic exhibits well presented and it takes a good two hours to do it justice. For £5 there is a booklet of its highlights which is well worth buying as you go in so that you do not miss the small as well as the large exhibits.

 

Very realistic figures illustrate the different archaeological periods

 

The main focus is on the Roman Period and the finds locally and considering only 1% of the town has been excavated one can only imaging what may yet be uncovered.

Mosaic manufacture was one of the things Corinium was famous for during the Roman period and some are displayed vertically as above.

There is a recreation of a Roman garden.

A simulation of a Roman room with mosaic. The figures looked as though they were watching a TV on the wall.

A big panel gives an impression of what the Roman town would have looked like, and it was the second largest in the country behind London

As it is on two levels one can enjoy some of the mosaics from above 

There are sections devoted to the Anglo Saxon and Medieval periods as well as the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Because of its location Cirencester was fought over during the Civil War and 1643 brought destruction, death, an economic collapse and starvation.

 

We stayed at the Old Brewhouse, 7 London Road, Cirencester GL7 2PU an excellent B&B full of objects of interest in the house and the garden at the rear off which are a number of rooms. http://www.theoldbrewhouse.com/