Settling in · Cricklade
Landing in Cricklade? Start here.
The first fortnight in Cricklade, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
62 places in Cricklade worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
The Salvation Army - Swindon Gorse Hill
Christian, Salvation army
Chapel Street, Swindon, SN2 8DA
About 9 km away
Rodbourne Cheney Baptist Church
Christian, Baptist
Cheney Manor Road, Swindon, SN2 2PE
About 8 km away
7th Day Adventist Church
Christian, Seventh day adventist
Whitby Grove, Swindon, SN2 1NA
About 8 km away
Swindon Chinese Christian Church
Christian
Saint Philip's Road, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7QP
About 8 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Swindon
About 13 km away
Park South Community Centre, Cranmore avenue, Swindon, SN3 2ER
Worship services: Tue 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Cheltenham
About 35 km away
SPRINGBANK COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE, Springbank Way, Cheltenham, GL51 0LG
Worship services: Tue 5:45pm · Sat 5:00pm · Sat 7:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Bristol
About 44 km away
Manor Hall, Henfield Road, Coalpit Heath, Bristol, BS36 2TG
Worship services: Wed 6:30pm
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Food and takeaways
Sports and clubs
Cirencester Town FC
Soccer. Sports centre
Kingshill Lane, Cirencester, GL7 1HS
About 10 km away
Moredon Sporting Hub
Soccer, cricket, bmx, cycling, croquet, running, fitness, softball. Sports centre
Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, Swindon, SN2 2QJ
About 8 km away
Swindon Supermarine Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Supermarine Road, Sevenhampton, SN3 4BZ
About 9 km away
Link Centre
Ice skating, swimming, tennis, soccer, trampoline. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-22:00; Sa-Su 06:00-20:00
Whitehill Way, Swindon, SN5 7DL
About 9 km away
Futsall 5-A-Side Indoor Football
Soccer. Sports centre
Bramble Road, Swindon, SN2 8HB
About 10 km away
Rox : The Real Outdoor Xperience
Stand up paddleboarding, canoe, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, archery, high rope course. Sports centre
Isis Lake, Cotswold District, GL7 6TL
About 5 km away
The Cotswold Range
Shooting. Sports centre
Spine Road West, Cotswold District, GL7 6GY
About 8 km away
Days out and things to do
Rockstar Climbing Centre
Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-18:00
Radway Road, Stratton St. Margaret, SN3 4WH
About 10 km away
Flashpoint Swindon
Sports centre
30 Bramble Road, Swindon, SN2 8HB
About 10 km away
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Down Ampney Village Hall
Community centre
Market Garden Close, Cotswold District, GL7 5FX
About 4 km away
Somerford Keynes Village Hall
Community centre
Water Lane, Cotswold District, GL7 6DS
About 8 km away
Stratton St Margaret Royal British Legion Club
Community centre
Haig Close, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7QP
About 9 km away
Community Activity Centre
Community centre
Florida Boulevard, Cotswold District, GL7 4RB
About 9 km away
Meadowcroft Community Rooms
Community centre
Cowleaze Walk, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7LQ
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Virgilio's Barber Shop
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 09:00-17:00; Tu 09:00-17:00; We 09:00-13:00; Th 09:00-17:00; Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 08:00-15:00
5 Moredon Road, Swindon, SN25 3DQ
About 8 km away
Pixal Rose Hair Design
Hairdresser
199A Rodbourne Road, Swindon, SN2 2AA
About 9 km away
BLEND.
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-16:00
160 Rodbourne Road, Swindon, SN2 2AY
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Cricklade Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu 10:00-13:00; Th 14:00-19:00; Fr 14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00; Mo 14:00-16:00,14:00-16:00
High Street, Swindon, SN6 6AP
Purton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
1 High Street, Swindon, SN5 4AA
About 6 km away
North Swindon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Manor Farm, Blunsdon St Andrew, SN25 4AN
About 6 km away
Rodbourne Cheney Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-20:00; Tu 10:00-17:00; Th 10:00-20:00; Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Church Walk North, Swindon, SN25 3DJ
About 7 km away
Penhill Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
44C Penhill Drive, Swindon, SN2 5DU
About 8 km away
Pinehurst Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
The Circle, Swindon, SN2 1RF
About 8 km away
Upper Stratton Public Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Beechcroft Road, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7QQ
About 8 km away
Fairford Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
The Orchard, Cotswold District, GL7 4BB
About 9 km away
West Swindon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Link Avenue, Swindon, SN5 7DL
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Cricklade
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here