Cirencester

The next stop on the way to Newport was Cirencester, another place that we had visited in 2015.

The settlement of Cirecester dates back to Roman times where it was the second largest city in Roman Britain.

The streets of Cirencester show a variety of architectural styles.

We began our visit this time by once again locating the remains of Roman walls dating from the 3rd century.

The walls are located in the park and are permanently open to the public.

We then visited St John Baptist Church.

Earlier churches had existed in Cirencester but a Norman church was built in 1117. The Abbey of St Mary was built around the same time. Over the years there has been much rebuilding of the church including the addition of the tower in 1400.

One section of the church has been set aside for the commemoration of events during World War One. The display showed events that occurred during 1918. They also had a carpet of knitted poppies that was being prepared as a feature of the display for Remembrance Day later in the year.

We then had lunch at The Coffee Shop @ Woodcock & Cavendish before returning to the coach for the journey to Newport.

Cirencester

On our rest day on 16 June a group visited Cirencester, a short distance from Cheltenham. Cirencester was the second largest Roman town in Britain.

The main purpose of the visit was to visit the Corinium Museum which has displays depicting life in the area from prehistoric times to the Civil War.

Displays include sections of mosaic floors

sections of painted plaster and

remains of marble columns.

There is a replica of a Roman garden where you can sit and contemplate.

We then visited the Church of St John the Baptist. This impressive church was built more than 1000 years ago. One of the guides gave us a tour of the building and then suggested that we go out through the side door to the gardens where the remains of a Roman wall could be located.

Outside the church is a market cross signifying the importance of the town as a market town during the wool boom.

Cirencester was well worth visiting.