Corinium Museum in Cirencester - One of the "must see" visitor attractions of the Cotswolds

Corinium Museum, Cirencester

The Corinium Museum, Cirencester (Tel : 01285 655611), re-opened its doors on Wednesday, September 15 2004 – after a £5m transformation which has made it the must-see visitor attraction of the Cotswolds. The Corinium Museum had been closed for two years to undergo a stunning makeover, doubling its size and allowing many fascinating treasures to go on show for the first time. The project was funded by owners Cotswold District Council (£1.775m); the Heritage Lottery Fund (£2.725m) and donations through the Cotswold Museums Charitable Trust.

Visitors can trace the story of the Cotswolds from Prehistory to the late 19th Century, with hands-on exhibits, interactive displays and a wealth of precious artefacts. There are animated and practical games, and audio-visual screens to bring the past to life for everyone from schoolchildren to grandparents.

Special emphasis is placed on the town’s Roman heritage, reflecting Cirencester’s importance as the second biggest Roman town, Corinium, outside London. The Roman collection is now spread over two floors and includes marvellous mosaics, tombstones and sculpture as well as room and shop reconstructions and objects from everyday Roman life.

A dramatic new Anglo-Saxon gallery has been created to house the finds – including rare gold pendants - from the cemetery uncovered at Butler’s Field, Lechlade, in 1985. Here, visitors will come face to face with their ancestors in the shape of a forensically-reconstructed Anglo-Saxon man and child who were among the 219 bodies.

The centrepiece of this new gallery is the reconstruction of the grave of ‘Mrs Getty’, the 6th Century Anglo-Saxon princess so nicknamed because of the 500 treasures buried with her.

Facial anthropologist Dr Caroline Wilkinson, the expert behind BBC2’s Meet The Ancestors, has painstakingly reconstructed Mrs Getty’s head from clues yielded by her skull. Now, complete with body, clothes and hair, Mrs Getty appears laid out in her coffin with replicas of her ‘grave goods’. The originals – around 1,500 years old – will be on display in a secure case nearby.

The revamped medieval gallery focuses on the impact that the wool trade had on the town of Cirencester and its Abbey – the second largest Augustinian foundation in the country. Although almost completely destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries, it has left a wealth of sculpture and architectural carvings.

As well as new galleries and exhibits, the museum also has a re-designed entrance and reception area, a new, bigger shop and a fully-equipped Lifelong Learning Centre for school use, talks, seminars, lectures and community functions.

Cotswold District Council’s Head of Museum Services John Paddock said: ”We are extremely proud of the new-look museum which has been two years and £5 million in the making. It’s a unique attraction that we hope will be a source of enjoyment and inspiration for everyone who visits. We are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund and all the private donors who helped the Council to make this happen.”

The Council’s Portfolio holder for IT & Culture, Councillor John Burgess, said: ”The expansion and refurbishment of the museum has been well worth the wait and tremendous effort. For the first time, it is accessible to everyone. I’m amazed by the change to the building and delighted that we have been able to treble the number of objects on show. The museum has always been the major tourist attraction in Cirencester with up to 60,000 visitors each year. I’m sure the transformation will help to make these figures even higher.”

Nerys Watts, South West Regional Manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) said: “We are delighted to support this project because it has saved the fascinating Corinium Museum collections for future generations to enjoy. This important resource holds many keys to Cirencester's proud identity and will be made available for the widest possible audience to discover.

'The Museum is part of the Council's excellent provision for the preservation and celebration of Cirencester's heritage, which also includes the specially-built store at Northleach, where the reserve collections are cared for.”

Admission Charges

Adults £4.25
Senior Citizens (age 60+) £3.50
Children (5 to 16) £2.00
Students (age 16+ valid Student Card) £2.70
Families (2 adults and 2 children) £11.50
Entrance to Temporary Exhibition only £1.00

One carer per disbabled person free

Annual season ticket (valid for 1 year)
Visit the Corinium Museum as many times as you like! A season ticket is valid for a whole year from the date of purchase and entitles the holder to free entry to the museum and temporary exhibitions.
It allows you to make the most of our busy programme of events and exhibitions. Plus, it also gives you great discounts on lectures and workshops.

Adults £13.00
Senior Citizens (age 60+) £1.00
Children £6.50
Family (2 adults and 2 children) £32.00


Group Rates (a group equals 10 or more people)
Adults £4.00
Concessions £3.25
Group visits must be pre-booked.

Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, Sunday 2pm and 5pm

School Visits to the Corinium Museum

The Corinium Museum has wonderful collections and new displays relating to life in Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxons in the Cotswolds and Medieval Cirencester. It is unsurpassed as a resource for schools studying local history, the Romans, Anglo-Saxons or the Medieval past.

The museum has a number of reconstructions including a Roman soldier's barrack room, a Roman kitchen, and a Roman dining room. There are a number of hands-on activities including state of the art computer interactives. The galleries also offer opportunities for self-study using worksheets. In addition, pupils can follow the trail of Dannicus the Dog around the museum.

Why not enhance your school visit with one of our active-learning sessions? There are several to choose from, ranging from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 3. These "hands-on" workshops offer pupils the chance to experience what life was like in the past.

For further information please contact the Education Officer, Amanda Hart on 01285 655611

The Corinium Museum is to be found in Park Street, Cirencester.

Corinium Museum Commercial Hire

The Corinium Museum, is situated in the heart of Cirencester, within easy
access of the M5/M4, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Swindon. The Museum, which
has recently undergone a major £5.7 million refurbishment is renown for the
quality and quantity of its archaeological collections. The Museum is the
ideal venue for a business or private function.

Hare Mosaic Gallery
This attractive space at the front of the Museum can accommodate 100 people
standing or 60 people seated. It is a perfect space for presentations and
receptions. Wine and food can be served in this area

Lecture Theatre
This well-appointed facility offers a lecture theatre comfortably seating 70
in theatre-style seating. The seating can also be retracted at the press of
a button and used a as meeting room. The centre also comprises a cloakroom,
small kitchen and toilet facilities. A full multi-media system is available
in the Lecture Theatre at no additional charge and includes the following:

Remote control computer for presentations
Video and DVD
Visualiser
Slide projector
Electrically operated projection screen
All controlled from a central control panel. In addition there is also a
microphone system, flip chart, and a built-in hearing loop.

Charges
Hourly rate - £150
Evening rate - £500 (6:00pm to 11:00 pm)
Lecture Theatre only hourly rate - £100

Availability
The Museum can only be booked for a function outside normal public opening
hours which are:
Monday to Friday 10:00am to 5:00pm and Sundays 2:00pm to 5:00pm. The
lecture theatre can be booked during opening hours but school bookings take
priority.

Lifelong Learning Centre
During opening hours (10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, school sessions
take priority):

Full day - £300
Half day - 150
Hourly rate - £70
Out of opening hours:

Hourly rate - £100
Corinium Museum
Hourly rate - £150
Evening rate - £500 (6:00pm to 11:00pm)

Corinium Museum Events

Corinium Museum Visitor Comments

"Just to say, we visited the Corinium Museum yesterday, and were terrifically impressed by it - the layout, the information offered - how the local finds were displayed and related to finds elsewhere in the UK and abroad - it was all really impressive and stimulating. Thankyou"
Jim and Angela Rodda - April 2005

Archive of Previous events at the Corinium Museum

31/8/2005 - New Exhibition Makes A Clean Sweep At The Corinium Museum

8/8/2005 - New Objects On Display as Corinium Museum, Cirencester Is Shortlisted for Top Award

National Archaeology Roadshow at Corinium Museum

A special "after hours" event at the Corinium Museum was held at the beginning of June 2005. Click here for more details.

Half-Term Fun At The Corinium Museum - Find out about events that were arranged for a recent half term break

Click here to view details of a special event that took place at The Corinium Museum on Saturday 30th April 2005