Editing Cirencester (section)

===Tudor===
As part of the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] in 1539, [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] ordered the total demolition of the Abbey buildings. Today only the [[Norman architecture|Norman]] Arch and parts of the precinct wall remain above ground, forming the perimeter of a public park in the middle of town. Despite this, the freedom of a borough continued to elude the townspeople, and they only saw the old lord of the manor replaced by a new lord of the manor as the king acquired the abbey's title. Cirencester became a [[borough#Parliamentary boroughs|parliamentary borough]] in 1572, returning two members, although this was deprived of representation in 1885.<ref name="EB1911"/>

Sheep rearing, wool sales, weaving and woollen [[broadcloth]] and cloth-making were the main strengths of England's trade in the [[Middle Ages]], and not only the abbey but many of Cirencester's merchants{{who?|date=March 2025}} and clothiers gained wealth and prosperity from the national and international trade.{{cn|date=March 2025}} The tombs of these merchants{{which?|date=March 2025}} can be seen in the [[Church of St John the Baptist, Cirencester|parish church]], while their fine houses of [[Cotswold stone]] still stand in and around Coxwell Street and Dollar Street. Their wealth funded the rebuilding of the nave of the parish church in 1515–1530, to create the large building sometimes referred to as the "Cathedral of the Cotswolds".{{cn|date=March 2025}} Other [[wool church]]es can be seen in neighbouring [[Northleach]] and [[Chipping Campden]].