Favourite Towns To Visit

Cirencester

Cirencester is the local town only 2.5 miles from Ampneyfield Barns. A really good mix of high-quality independent shops on the streets around Market Place. Black Jack Street has the Jesse Smith traditional butchers, Octavia’s Bookshop, Knead Bakery and Patisserie (flaky almond croissants and focaccia are essentials), the award-winning Drizzle Chocolate and several stylish boutiques. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has an interiors showroom on Castle Street. There is the Corn Hall Deli and Wine Cellars in the old Corn Hall on Market Place, which is dominated by the magnificent Parish Church of St John Baptist and where outdoor markets are set up twice a week.

There are lots of places to eat in Cirencester, from the AA Rosette Tierra & Mar Spanish restaurant to indie cafés tucked away in courtyards. Another excellent Spanish restaurant is the buzzy tapas bar La Bobina, just off Black Jack Street, while La Passione is the classic destination Italian. Sam & Jak, a restaurant-café-wine bar run by two young local chefs, serves modern British food and excellent brunches. The Barn Theatre on Beeches Road has a highly rated restaurant, Téatro, for dining before or after performances. Pubs with decent restaurants include the Fleece and the Kings Head on Market Place — both also boutique hotels — and the Golden Cross on Black Jack Street, for its famed mixed Sunday roast.

Burford

Burford is excellent for quirky shops. Parking is not easy but is very picturesque. We strongly recommend Burford Garden Centre. Amazing selection of both garden products and homeware with a lovely café and food hall.

Other towns we recommend visiting

Both Stow-In-The-Wold and Moreton-In-Marsh are excellent for a wide range of shops, places to eat and coffee shops. Tetbury is fantastic for antiques and Highgrove House (King Charle’s country residence). Cheltenham is well worth a visit especially around the Montpellier area. The beautiful spa town is Bath is less than an hour’s drive. Oxford is a must if you haven’t already visited followed by a quick shop at Bicester Village for every luxury brand from Dior, Gucci to Ralph Lauren (if you like that kind of thing)