Cirencesters History

Cirencester's recorded history begins soon after the invasion of Britain by the Roman Emperor Claudius in AD 43. When defences were constructed in the 2nd century, Cirencester was the second largest town in Britain , covering 240 acres, compared with the 330 of London. It was in the 4th century that Corinium seems to have been the centre of the general wealth of the Cotswolds and on the evidence available was probably the capital of the Province of Britannia Prima.

During the Saxon and Medieval periods Cirencester was still an important centre, but little tangible evidence survives. Burials and the site of the Minster church are all that remain to reflect its former status. At the Norman Conquest the royal manor of Cirencester was granted to the Earl of Hereford, but by 1075 it had reverted back to the Crown. The Domesday Survey of 1086 records "the new market" of Cirencester, which paid an annual toll of 20s and attracted trade from the surrounding area.

Cirencester Abbey was founded by Henry I in 1117, but at the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, Henry VIII ordered the total demolition of the buildings so that today the Norman Arch and parts of the precinct wall are all that remain above ground of the old abbey.

Peace was shattered in 1643 when Royalists and Parliamentarians fought in the streets of Cirencester during the first Civil War. Over 300 were killed and 1200 prisoners were held captive in the church. Also during this time the first Earl Bathurst, was responsible for the extensive landscaping of Cirencester Park, with its broad avenues and follies dotted amongst an extensive wooded park.

At the end of the 18th century Cirencester was once again a thriving market town, with a branch of the Thames & Severn Canal, shortly followed by gas lighting, and a railway line provided a link to the Great Western Railway. Private benefactors included most notably Daniel George Bingham who funded the building of the Bingham Library, opened in 1905 and the Bingham Hall which was opened in 1908.

Current day public services and facilities both within and around the town centre include a Police Station and Magistrate's Court, Leisure Centre, refurbished Museum and a Hospital. Edge-of-town shopping, colleges and school facilities also serve the needs of the community.