Duntisbourne Abbots

Duntisbourne Abbots is a quiet village in a narrow valley five miles north-west of Cirencester, one of a string of small settlements along the Duntisbourne Brook that includes Middle Duntisbourne, Duntisbourne Leer and the tiny hamlet of Duntisbourne Rouse. The valley has a particularly secluded and pastoral character — its narrow lanes and small farms give it a sense of being quietly removed from the main Cotswolds circuit.

The Church of St Peter in the village has Saxon origins and retains a Saxon crypt, one of only about forty surviving in England. This gives the building a particular historical significance well beyond its modest size. The rest of the church is largely Norman and medieval, and the building as a whole is a remarkably complete record of English ecclesiastical architecture from the earliest period. The churchyard has pleasant views across the valley floor.

The Duntisbourne valley offers good walking along the valley bottom and up onto the surrounding wolds, with footpaths connecting the string of villages along the brook. The area between here and Cirencester is particularly rich in Roman remains and earthworks, reflecting the density of settlement in this corner of Roman Britain. The valley is at its best in spring, when the lanes are flanked by primroses and the stream runs full after winter rains.