A Day in Cirencester (2): The Whereat Trail

I would hate you to think that the only reason I went to Cirencester was to explore old railway stations!  Even a railway maniac like me has other interests — not least, Lunch.

I set off in the direction of the town centre with thoughts of tracking down a sandwich, but changed my mind when I happened upon the West Cornwall Pasty Company.  The temptation was irresistible, and in I went.

"Do you offer discount to Cornish maids?" I asked. The young guy behind the counter gave me a confused look and said that he didn't. I grinned, hoping he'd see that I was joking, but I suspect he had endured a few too many mad Cornish ex-pats in the past. 

I tried again. "One steak pasty, please." The confused look returned as he explained, "We only have Cheese & Onion and Traditional ones left." 
"'Traditional' is steak," chimed a lady assistant and me in unison.

Extensive Internet research (at least 10 minutes of it) before my visit had established that the Abbey Grounds, behind St John's Church – the Cathedral of the Cotswolds – would be a good place to eat lunch. On my way, I paused to 'admire' (the quotation marks are deliberate) the medieval church, with its recently renovated and ornate 15th century, 3-storey porch. It's at times like these that I just known I'm a cultural pariah. Guide books rave about the porch's architectural splendour but all I see is a great carbuncle that's totally out of proportion to the church, and that obscures its rather nice south windows.  "Off with her head!" I hear someone remark.

It was blisteringly hot in the Abbey Grounds, so I sought the shade of a large tree and tucked into my pasty. I once heard that you can always tell a true Cornish pasty eater, as only they can catch all the crumbs in the paper bag, as they eat. Lesser mortals invariably get a lap-full of pastry flakes. More seriously, did you know that the Cornish Pasty has been granted Protected Status by the European Union? Consequently, pasties can only be designated 'Cornish' if they're made in Cornwall.  This has done wonders in protecting the product against the majority of pale imitations, though sadly not the rubbish churned out by Ginsters, whose factory qualifies by being just a few miles on the 'right' side of the Cornish border. But I'm being unfair... If you're partial to baby food, wrapped in pastry, I can heartily recommend them.


I'm delighted to report that my pasty was excellent. Allowing its succulent flavours to titillate my taste buds, I reached into my bag and retrieved the other fruit of my research — a copy of The Whereat Trail. I quote from the back page...

The trail has been set up in commemoration to* Norman Whereat, who was the first person to be awarded the 'Freeman of Cirencester' in 2011. Norman was a Town Councillor for 12 years... He spent many hours serving the Cirencester community and received an MBE for his efforts. During his lifetime Norman was a Churchman, Auxilliary Fireman, Football Referee, a respected peer in the water industry and served with the Navy in WWII. His time with the Navy led him to support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and he received the RNLI Gold Bar in 2010.

(* sic. The grammar is theirs, not mine.)

Most folk, myself included, bumble their way through life, achieving little of value for the community around us. Mr Whereat was manifestly not one of us, and its good that his name lives on in the town he served so faithfully. 

I was lucky to find an Internet link to this leaflet. When I followed the same link this morning, in preparation for this post, it had become a copy of a boring press release about the trail. Perhaps the council's website is cared for by the same folk who administer their parking ticket machines (see my previous post).

A slave to convention, I elected to start the trail at Point 1.

This 40ft-high yew hedge is said to be the tallest of its kind in the country, helping to preserve the privacy of the Bathurst Estate.  The Bathurst family are also prominent in the life and history of my home town (Lydney), so they clearly got about a bit.

This 19th century obelisk is a bit of a mystery. "Historians suggest it formed part of a circuit of follies," declares the writer of my trail leaflet. I think they should seriously consider reinstating it and include a parking ticket machine or two in the circuit!

And so to the remains of Cirencester's Roman Amphitheatre. The trail leaflet informs me that this was built in the 2nd Century and was one of the largest amphitheatres in Britain, holding 8000 spectators.  On my arrival there were 7996 less than that... and before long there was only little me.

The sun still shone brightly as I walked back into the town centre.  Once more, my thoughts turned to food. After a disappointing visit in 2013, I had vowed to give The Bear Inn a miss, but quickly relented when I saw its tables, invitingly set out in the sunshine.  I ordered half a pint of cool larger and a bowl of elderflower ice cream. A lovely way to end a lovely day.

P.S. I recommend Ginster's sandwiches. Very tasty!