Cirencester Park

Cirencester Park

Over the years Cirencester Park has been a deer park, a military base, a hospital and the venue for a Glenn Miller concert. It was originally laid out in the 1700s as a deer park by the first Earl Bathurst. It remained that way until the First World War when it became a military camp, once home to the Warwickshire Yeomanry. During this time the fences surrounding the deer park fell into disrepair and fallow deer escaped, a herd of which roam the Park to this day. The Second World War saw the army return in the form of two massive US military hospitals. It was here, in July 1944, that Glenn Miller and his band performed to 7,000 troops. Part of one of these hospitals was compulsorily purchased in the 1960s and is now home to Deer Park School. In 1997 Lord Bathurst drew up an ambitious restoration plan to reinstate the area to its 1760’s form. Recently introduced poplars were felled and replaced by small groups of trees to recreate the vistas landscaped by the first Earl Bathurst nearly 300 years earlier. Over 15,000 tonnes of concrete foundations were removed – an immense task, but a worthwhile one as anyone who enjoys the beauty of the Park today will attest.

For over 300 years the Bathurst Estate has counted as one of the country’s most beautiful privately owned parks. The businesses and enterprises we operate and support within our 15,000 acres of parks and farmland are all striving to the highest sustainable principles. Whether creating wildlife corridors around our productive fields or providing affordable housing and employment for local people, we aim to be integrated within the community and the environment and while we are a business, we take great pleasure in being able to offer a number of leisure attractions from horse-friendly bridleways to cricket, camping and simply walking through our historic parkland and atmospheric woods.