Corinium Museum, Cirencester

This museum is great for those interested in History associated with Romans and their life in England. Very well explained throughout the corridors. Organized by timelines with special instruments discovered through the time in Cirencester and Cotswolds areas. The admission price is reasonable for the amount of History items very well kept. Staff is welcoming and available for questions through the visit.

Looks small from the outside but packed with exhibits. The museum is tucked away a short walk from the main town centre. It is packed with exhibits from small to huge, all laid out and labelled clearly. Descriptive text everywhere is concise and informative without being boring. Most things on display are Roman but there’s plenty to see from the periods before and after. The route around the museum is easy to follow and takes you through the history of the area chronologically. The layout, lighting and quality of the displays is exceptional and easily rivals or surpasses some I’ve seen in far bigger museums. Likewise the quality of some items is so good that a few look like new particularly some of the Anglo Saxon jewellery. The mosaics and recreation of a Roman sitting room were also highlights for me. I couldn’t take it all in on one visit so will be back. We came on a Tuesday during school holidays. No school parties, but a lot of tourists. However, there was still enough room to move around and see & enjoy everything. It wasn’t too busy when we arrived on spec. We paid and were in within minutes but later we saw a queue so book in advance on the web site. I’d advise buying one of the handbooks @ £4.50. It helps focus younger visitor’s attention and isn’t bad value. Entry cost was just under £15 for one adult and one child inc. the Explorer’s Handbook (with stickers!). Parking in Cirencester is *always* tricky. I’d advise avoiding markets days = Mondays, Fridays and the second and forth Saturdays of each month. On other days, arrive as early as possible and head for the Forum car park (you can use the PayByPhone app here). Enter Cirencester Police Station into your satnav / maps app. The Forum car park is on the right, just before the station.