Cirencester Park pass system to "support conservation work"

Passes will be available to pre-order online or at the ticket office close to Cecily Hill Gates at Cirencester Park

A new pass system is set to cost non-residents £30 per year to visit a popular park estate.

As of 15 March, visitors to Cirencester Park - run by the Bathurst family since 1695 - will need to purchase a pass online if they do not live locally.

People living in certain Gloucestershire postcodes and villages will continue to enjoy free access.

Lord Bathurst said the pass system will fund maintenance and "important restoration projects" at the park.

Different passes available

Three types of entry pass are being introduced for the Grade I park, in addition to the existing Riding in the Park Pass.

The Cirencester Park Annual Pass is an option for anyone living outside of the former pass's catchment area, costing £30 for an individual or £50 for a family of up to six people annually.

There is also a £10 student pass available to those enrolled at Cirencester Deer Park School, Cirencester College and the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).

Day passes cost £4 for adults and £2 for children, with family day passes also available.

The passes will grant access to the park via automatic gates

Cirencester Park Community Passes are available to all Gloucestershire residents within the GL7 0, GL7 1, GL7 2, GL7 5, GL7 6 and GL7 7 postcodes, and the villages of Edgworth, Frampton Mansell, Ashton Keynes and Latton.

It requires a one-off deposit, £10 per pass, and can be applied for as a household or an individual.

The passes can be used to gain access to Cirencester Park at four automated pedestrian gates: Cecily Hill, Windsor Walk, Barton Lane and by Cirencester Park Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Lord Bathurst said the passes will support a restoration project at Cirencester Park, which will begin this autumn.

"The physical and health benefits that people and their dogs get from the restorative powers of being in the natural environment of Cirencester Park is as important today as when the Park was first established," he said.

"We are delighted to continue to share Cirencester Park with the local community and visitors to the area.

"This year, we will continue our important conservation work, with Phase II of the Broad Avenue Restoration Project starting in the autumn.

"The introduction of passes supports these important projects as well as the effective maintenance of pathways, woodlands, grasslands and monuments so we can continue to protect and preserve the important heritage, natural capital and biodiversity within the park for all."