From Roman Cirencester to medieval Cyrescestre

Everyone knows that Cirencester was an important Roman city and that the medieval town was dominated by an abbey. But how did the Roman city end and medieval town start, and what came in between? Cirencester is mentioned in Saxon and Welsh documents in the so-called Dark Ages but what exactly did they say?

In an extended illustrated talk, Cotswold Archaeology’s Neil Holbrook and Simon Draper from the Victoria County History (VCH) examine how a once great city failed, ultimately to be replaced by something quite different, and what we can say about the bit in between. Includes brand new research from the VCH’s ten-year project on Cirencester and surrounding parishes, due for publication in 2026.