A Cirencester street scene

CIRENCESTER, a short distance along the A419 from Swindon, has an ambience all its own.

As befits a place that was thriving as early as the Roman era, it is impossible for even the most unaware visitor not to sense the agreeable weight of history.

Most people with a smattering of local general knowledge or a taste for Roman history know, the Romans called the place Corinium.

However, humans were living in the area millennia before the conquerors set foot in Britain.

Cirencester's existence was a matter of official records barely a century after the events of the New Testament.

The Roman era ended, but the history of the town had barely begun, with each subsequent era leaving an indelible mark in architecture, culture or both.

These days Cirencester is known for both its history and its beauty, and is a very popular destination for tourists and people from surrounding communities.

One of the town's major attractions is its wealth of shopping opportunities.

There are plenty of larger stores to browse in, but the jewels of shopping in Cirencester are the smaller shops.

These are ideal for people seeking that special present for a special someone or something to make their own home just that little bit more appealing.

They also give a sense of what it must have been like to shop in the days when every main street in the land was different and there was only a limited amount of corporate branding.

There are a number of shops specialising in one type of item, ranging from ornaments to fabrics and from antiques to games.

Prices range from inexpensive to highly exclusive, with some items coming from named designers and only available in limited numbers.

As drenched in centuries as Cirencester is, it is also very much a 21st century community, with a full range of companies able to service every need of modern life.

Whatever one's preference or budget, a visit is always rewarding.

2:28pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

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