It might be worth considering a stint as a research technician/assistant first in that case, to see if your expectations of research match reality. The new developments are rewarding, but there's often a lot of not so exciting slog in between. My undergrad summer and dissertation projects were a good intro to research, but didn't really prepare me for the day to day realities of the long haul.
Getting some experience would also help you when it comes to putting in PhD applications. Getting to know a research group before starting a PhD can be advantageous, particularly if trying to decide whether someone would make a good supervisor.
As Alleycat says, an MRes would be another thing to consider, as a way of bridging the gap and getting your foot back in the door.