Cirencester Park and town, Cirencester

The Cotswolds is one of our favourite places to visit for quintessentially British scenery. This easy circular walk takes you to a variety of the most beautiful sights in Cirencester, along characterful streets lined with independent shops, residential lanes featuring stunning Cotswold stone houses, and through the woodland and open expanse of grass at the perfectly manicured Cirencester Park. Once you circle back through the town, you’ll take in the magnificent St. John Baptist Church before heading back to the start of the route.

There are a handful of car parks and bus stops throughout Cirencester – as the largest town in the Cotswolds it’s one of the better connected ones. We recommend parking in Abbey Grounds Park car park as it’s a spacious, central spot for beginning this route, and the park is a great place to relax when you’ve finished exploring the town – little ones and dogs can have fun running around the open field here.

Cirencester Park, halfway along this route, is a fantastic place for a gentle walk – especially for those with four-legged friends. Dogs are permitted off lead (though must be under close control) and they’ll love roaming through the woods adjacent to the main path. There are dog waste bins dotted along the path and the long, open thoroughfare as you arrive through the Cecily Hill gates is perfect for endless games of fetch. There’s an Airstream cafe, Beano in the Park, open 7 days a week on the main path where you can pick up a light bite and drinks, as well as water for dogs.

While Cirencester Park is one of the highlights of this walk, there’s more to enjoy when you leave the park gates. Heading down Black Jack Street you’ll find two of our most highly recommended stopping points for food and drink. The first is The Golden Cross, a very dog-friendly pub with a garden area that serves mouth-wateringly good pub food – they’ve even won awards for their Yorkshire puddings! The second stop is Knead, a small bakery that often pulls us in with its array of colourful pastries on display in the windows – you have to try the raspberry and pistachio bun! It’s perfect for a quick pick-me-up that you can takeaway and enjoy with a coffee in Abbey Grounds Park to end your walk.

As this route takes you through the centre of Cirencester town, there are an abundance of bins for dog waste, and public toilets. The latter have mixed reviews on Google, so we’d always recommend stopping in at one of the many pubs or restaurants to use the facilities and enjoy a hearty meal too. If you choose to walk this route on a Monday or Friday you’ll find Cirencester’s charter market as you arrive at Market Place, by St. John Baptist church, with an array of independent stalls. Find out more about visiting the Cotswolds in our blog post.