Cricklade is a small historic town in north Wiltshire, England. It lies just outside of the Cotswold and the first town on the River Thames. On the eastern side of the town is the Ermine Way, a Roman road that links Silchester to Gloucester and serves as an embankment across the floodplain.
This town is rich in history. It is one of the few preserved Saxon settlements in the UK and was host to the royal mint from 979 to 1100. Some of the coins minted during that period are exhibited at the town museum. The Thames Path National Trail, the route following River Thames, is a natural walking/hiking trail that passes through the town and onto the Cotswold area and Cotswold Water Park, a park boasting if 140 lakes.
Food, Shopping and Accommodation in Cricklade
In Cricklade, there are two restaurants, and three pubs and one of them is The Red Lion, a winner of the title CAMRA restaurant pub of the year for Wiltshire for two consecutive years. There is also the town's cafe that is open and serves food only in the daytime. The three pubs in town also offer premium value accommodation. The pubs, hotels and cafes of the town are all located in the typical English High Street. The town won the top prize of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign in 2011.
Things to See and Do and Cricklade
The route of the Cricklade Heritage Trail passes through the town’s places of interest and historical buildings. These include the 13th century St Sampson’s Church, 18th century United Church Hall, 19th-century museum, the medieval Church of St. Mary, Thames Hall, 13th-century Priory of St John the Baptist, 17th century Jenner Hall and the Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee commemorative clock among others.
This town is surrounded by a beautiful countryside that is just perfect for riding, cycling and walking while the lakes in the Cotswold Water Park offer numerous opportunities for water sport. The “ Snakeshead Fritillary” a rare flowering plant that blooms in April is endemic to the North Meadow, which is now a National Nature Reserve.