Corinium Dobunnorum Archaeological Site

Address: Park Street, Cirencester GL7 2BX, United Kingdom

Website: https://coriniummuseum.org

Hours: Tue-Sat 10:00am-5:00pm, Sun 11:00am-4:00pm, closed Mondays

Admission: Adults ~£9, concessions ~£7, under-16s free (museum admission)

Corinium Dobunnorum is the Roman-era town located at the site of modern Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England. It served as an important urban centre and civitas capital in Roman Britain.

The settlement grew in the Roman period to become one of the largest towns in Britain outside of Londinium, with a planned street grid, public buildings and an amphitheatre. Surviving features and finds have been studied by archaeologists and displayed locally.

Excavations have revealed mosaics, stonework and artefacts that illustrate the town’s civic and domestic life under Roman rule. The area evolved into the medieval town of Cirencester after the end of Roman administration, preserving the continuity of settlement.

The site lies in the Cotswolds at the modern town of Cirencester, where Roman remains are integrated into the townscape and exhibited in the local Corinium Museum.

• Roman capital: Was one of Roman Britain’s largest towns and served as the civitas capital for the local Dobunni people under Roman administration.
• Museum collection: Archaeological displays and finds from the site are on show in a dedicated local museum that houses mosaics, sculptures and everyday Roman objects.

What to See#

• Town remains: Visible traces of the town plan of the Roman settlement, including parts of the defensive circuit and street layout in the modern town of Cirencester.
• Local museum (Corinium Museum): A museum housing Roman-era finds from the site, including mosaics, stonework and everyday objects recovered from excavations.
• Amphitheatre: An earthwork amphitheatre site on the outskirts of the Roman town, visible in the landscape and recorded in archaeological surveys.

Cirencester is about 35 miles (56 km) west of central London by road. From London, take the M4/M5 westbound to the A417; regular coach services run from London Victoria to Cirencester. The nearest mainline rail station is Kemble (around 8 miles away) with bus connections; local buses and short taxi rides serve central Cirencester from the town car parks.

• Arrive midweek or early morning to see the mosaic gallery without buses of school groups.
• Don't skip the Roman town model - it gives a valuable sense of circulation and scale that remains invisible in the surface ruins.
• If interested in archaeology, contact the museum ahead to consult the archives or join a curator talk; special exhibitions rotate seasonally.