The largest town in the Cotswolds
Cirencester is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire. It is the largest town within the Cotswolds, and its built-up area had 17,715 residents at the 2021 census. The town lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the Thames. It is also home to the Royal Agricultural University, founded in 1840.
The Romans called the town Corinium. They built a fort where the Fosse Way crossed the Churn, and a civil settlement grew beside it. In time, Cirencester became one of the most substantial towns in Roman Britain. The Corinium Museum now holds an extensive Roman collection.
Wool, churches and a great park
In the Middle Ages, the wool trade made the town’s merchants and clothiers wealthy. Their tombs still stand in the parish church. The Grade I listed Church of St John the Baptist is known for its Perpendicular Gothic porch and fan vaults.
To the west of the town lies Cirencester Park, the seat of Earl Bathurst. It is one of the finest landscape gardens in England, laid out after 1714. The park is also home to the oldest polo club in the UK. Meanwhile, the remains of a Roman amphitheatre survive in a small park on Cotswold Avenue.
The shape of the town
The town lies on the lower slopes of the Cotswold Hills, an outcrop of oolitic limestone. It splits into five main areas: the town centre, Stratton, Chesterton, Watermoor and The Beeches. Other suburbs include Bowling Green and New Mills. Similarly, the village of Siddington, to the south, now almost joins Watermoor.
What an installation here tends to involve
Cotswold District Council has marked out several conservation areas in and around the town. Because a unit on a street-facing wall in these areas can draw scrutiny, a rear wall is often the first choice. If your home is listed, read our guide on when a unit needs planning permission and check with the council first.
Away from the old centre, Stratton and Chesterton both began as separate villages. Since housing types vary across the town, the survey settles the wall type. It also confirms the best spot for the outdoor unit. The installation page covers the general fitting process, which this page does not repeat.
Getting there from Cheltenham
Cirencester lies about 14.8 miles by road from Cheltenham, around 25 minutes’ drive. In a straight line, the gap is about 13.1 miles.
The town is the hub of a road network. For example, the A417 runs to Gloucester, while the A419 runs to Swindon and Stroud. The nearest railway station is at Kemble, 3.7 miles away.
Pages on installing a system in Tetbury, Stroud air conditioning installation and home cooling installs around Minchinhampton cover other Cotswold towns. Each has its own page.
Getting matched in Cirencester
Send one enquiry and we match your address with one pre-qualified installer who works here. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Let us know if your property is in the historic centre or a street further out. That shapes where a unit can go, and whether a conservation check is likely.
Mention too if your address is close to Cirencester Park, since the park has its own conservation area. Before you get a quote, a breakdown of installation prices is a useful starting point. Start with the contact form, and the installation page explains how a typical fit runs from survey to finish.