Fun in Cirencester
Having been incredibly lucky with the weather so far this summer, we were especially looking forward to hitching up and heading out for our next adventure in the caravan. This time we were off to Cirencester- Capital of The Cotswolds.
After a very busy morning we hit the road slightly later than we had hoped, and arrived at Cirencester Park Caravan and Motorhome club site at 17:55- 5 minutes before reception closed! (Although technically you can check in until 8pm). We checked in with the welcoming wardens and drove around to find a pitch. Eventually we settled ourselves on a grassy area lined with trees on one side, and decided this would be the perfect place to stop for the 4 nights we would spend here. At the time we didn’t realise we were on a popular dog walking route but as we were setting up we got chatting to some lovely couples with their equally lovely furry friends. There are definitely worse ways to get distracted!
The rest of the evening was spent having dinner and popping out to the local Tesco for some supplies, before crashing in bed for a good nights sleep.
Waking up late the next day we decided we were going to take it easy. The previous day had been a very busy one and we had lots planned for the day after, so relaxing sounded like a great idea. I spent most of the day soaking up the sun whilst getting stuck into a good book, before we took a stroll to explore the campsite more. Hard work this caravanning!
With 211 pitches Cirencester Caravan and Motorhome club site is fairly large and has good facilities, including a spacious disabled shower room.
Ideally located, it is possible to walk into the town in about 15 minutes but since we were having a chilled day we didn’t want to venture out too far. Being on a campsite situated within beautiful Grade I listed parkland we couldn’t resist going to explore and took the short walk just out of the site entrance, to Cirencester Park.
We weren’t entirely sure where we were going so we just had a stroll along the gravel paths, enjoying the views across to Cirencester town as the sun shone down on us.
Making our way back to the caravan to cool down and rehydrate, we bumped into two familiar faces- Phil and Juliet from the YouTube channel Lost Weekends Caravan! We had no idea they were going to be here but it was a lovely surprise. We’d previously been in contact on social media so it felt like we already knew each other and got chatting right away, they even kindly invited us over for coffee- An offer we couldn’t refuse!
We happily chatted away before heading back to the caravan for an early night, excited for meeting even more lovely caravaners the following day.
Waking up bright and early with the morning sun shining in through the roof lights, we made our way to the beautiful Stanton House Hotel for the launch of the Bailey Phoenix. If you’d like to read my blog about the launch click Here.
After having a fantastic day seeing the new caravans and socialising with lovely likeminded people, we headed back to our campsite to continue the party.
In the most British fashion we invited our friends Richard and Trevor over for tea and scones, where we were joined by Phil and Juliet. We chatted away for hours, about the launch, all things caravan, and of course whether you put the jam or cream on the scone first. Time flew by and unfortunately Richard and Trevor had to get going as they were staying at Longleat Caravan site which is quite a drive away. So we said our goodbyes and continued the evening with Phil and Juliet, firing up the BBQ just as the rain began to pour (again, in true British fashion). We were in a heatwave and it hadn’t rained a drop in weeks, so it was typical that it had to come now, but it was very welcome. Dashing into the awning to take shelter we enjoyed the rest of the evening with good food, good company, and the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof. A perfect end to a very busy but great day.
Wanting to make the most of our last day here we decided we would explore the local areas more. We had heard that Bourton-on-the-Water was a lovely place to visit and get the feel of a typical Cotswold town, so we headed there first. Only, as we approached it got busier and busier, until we were barely able to drive through, it was just heaving with pedestrians! It was like everyone and their dog had decided to visit on that day! We swiftly decided that we would just keep driving but definitely come back here another day, from what we saw it looked like a lovely little village. So we moved on to plan B...
Having both been given memberships to the National Trust for our birthdays this year (a gift that just keeps giving), we naturally keep an eye out for those National Trust road signs everywhere we go. We had noticed a sign for Chedworth Roman Villa so we thought we’d head there to check it out.
This ancient villa turned out to be both fascinating and educational. We were transported back to Roman times as we explored the remains of what was once a grand home to a very wealthy family.
The majority of the site was surprisingly accessible for wheelchairs and we were even lucky enough to be visiting at the right to see some archaeologists uncovering a hidden mosaic.
Leaving the Roman Villa we decided to drive back via Cirencester to have a better look at the town.
With free parking after 3pm we arrived at Forum car park in the town centre, where we got out to explore the streets full of beautiful limestone buildings. By now it was approaching 6pm so most of the shops were closing, but it was nice just to get a feel of the town and take in the relaxed atmosphere. We made our way to St Johns church where we took a stroll through the lovely gardens as the church bells broke into dramatic song which lasted longer than 5 minutes!
By now the streets were clearing and the sun was starting to sink, so we picked up some fish and chips and headed back to the caravan to get a good nights sleep before sadly leaving tomorrow.
Although, our adventure wasn’t over yet... our next stop? Brighton!
On the 1st of August 2018, just a mere 12 days after we saw him, we got the terrible news that our friend Trevor had passed away. Although we had only met a few times in person, we were in contact often online and he was incredibly supportive of our adventures. He will be greatly missed by us and the caravan community as a whole. Rest in peace Trevor. X