The streets of Ciren

Walking the streets of Cirencester on bleak mid-winter days can be quite enjoyable. The townscape comes into its own, enhanced by the elegant Christmas lights twinkling over the main shopping streets. Now that the trees are bare, I get a better feel for layout of the town because I can see across open spaces, car parks and boundaries that hide buildings and roads. Today’s townscape is shaped by medieval street patterns. The main entrance to Cirencester is still Corinium Gate which during Roman times was 30 metres wide! 

Once you get off the three main streets that fan out into the old town keeping your bearings can be tricky. I remember being elated on finding a route into the old town via the junction of The White Way and Spital Gate, or getting to Cecily Hill, the main entrance to Cirencester Park, without taking a wrong turn. 

Black Jack Street is one of my favourites, not just because of the name but because it feels like one of those small lanes in a French town, jammed with tables and chairs, colourful shop fronts and intriguing alleys into former stable yards and workshops. 

The lack of foliage at this time of year exposes the close proximity between homes and the ring road which tightly hugs the perimeter of the town. The ring road has been so well designed that it invites drivers to treat it like a race track. I can’t understand why the authorities have not imposed an urban speed limit on the it. National speed restrictions apply but the many with powerful cars exceed that with ease, creating an awful din that is heard from every corner of the town.