94-605: The Museum of Gloucester in Brunswick Road is the main museum in the city of Gloucester , England. It was extensively renovated following a large National Heritage Lottery Fund grant, and reopened on Gloucester Day , 3 September 2011. In March 2016, the museum rebranded itself; it used to be called the Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery. Gloucester Life is a smaller museum in Westgate Street , dealing with
188-404: A Colonia in 97 as Colonia Nervia Glevensium , or Glevum , in the reign of Nerva . It is likely that Glevum became the provincial capital of Britannia Prima . Within about 15 years new privately constructed properties replaced the earlier barracks and public buildings, temples and bath houses were under construction in stone. Piped water began to be supplied. Drains and sewers were laid. On
282-674: A Latin base. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Gloucester is shown as part of Wessex from the Battle of Deorham in 577. At some point afterwards, along with the rest of its shire excluding the Forest of Dean , Gloucester was part of the minor kingdom of the Hwicce . In 628, as a result of the Battle of Cirencester , that kingdom became a client or sub-kingdom of Mercia . From about 780, the Hwicce
376-716: A battle. After the Norman Conquest, William Rufus made Robert Fitzhamon the first baron or overlord of Gloucester. Fitzhamon had a military base at Cardiff Castle , and for the succeeding years the history of Gloucester was closely linked to that of Cardiff. During the Anarchy , Gloucester was a centre of support for the Empress Matilda , who was supported in her claim to the throne by her half-brother, Fitzhamon's grandson, Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (also known as Robert of Gloucester). After this period of strife ended with
470-470: A fraction under three tons. Great Peter is the hour bell and can also be heard ringing before the main services. Gloucester Cathedral has a large collection of funerary monuments from the Middle Ages to the present. Notable people buried at Gloucester Cathedral include: The cathedral has been used as a filming location for movies and for TV including: the first , second and sixth Harry Potter movies ;
564-410: A further reconstruction in 1920. In 1971 Hill, Norman and Beard , working with the cathedral's organist John Sanders, and a consultant, Ralph Downes, completely redesigned the instrument, which was again overhauled in 1999 by Nicholson & Co . In 2010 Nicholson's added a Trompette Harmonique solo reed. As of 2023, the organ is out of commission, but the cathedral has contracted with Nicholsons for
658-504: A major church. William the Conqueror held his Christmas Court at the chapter house in 1085, at which he ordered the compilation of Domesday Book . In October 1216, Henry III was crowned at the abbey. After another disastrous fire in 1222, an ambitious rebuilding programme was begun. In the 14th century, the Great and Little Cloisters were constructed, displaying the earliest, and perhaps
752-454: A major rebuilding, and between the laying of the foundation stone in 1089 and the abbey's re-consecration in 1100, work on the nave , the apse , the crypt and the chapter house was undertaken at speed and on an "exceptional scale". St Peter's Abbey had long enjoyed important royal connections, from its foundation, then under the patronage of the Conqueror, and in October 1216 it was chosen as
846-469: A mint. In the early 10th century, the remains of Saint Oswald were brought to a small church here and shrine built there, a draw for pilgrims. The core street layout is thought to date to the reign of Æthelflæd in late Saxon times. In 1051, Edward the Confessor held court at Gloucester and was threatened there by an army led by Godwin, Earl of Wessex , but the incident resulted in a standoff rather than
940-399: A new abbey "a little further from the place where it had stood". The abbey appears not to have been an initial success, by 1072, the number of attendant monks had reduced to two. The present building was begun by Abbott Serlo in about 1089, following a major fire the previous year. Serlo's efforts transformed the abbey's fortunes; rising revenues and royal patronage enabled the construction of
1034-454: A new building with a complement of only two monks and eight novices. The situation was worsened by another major fire in 1088. But the town retained its importance as a favoured royal seat; William celebrated Christmas there in 1085 when, in discussion with his Witan in the chapter house , he initiated the assembly of Domesday Book . His support, together with that of others such as Walter de Lacy and his wife, enabled Serlo to embark on
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#17328450944571128-649: A town within a city. Gloucester is the county town of Gloucestershire , and is the 53rd largest settlement in the United Kingdom by population. In 2010, its population was 123,400;. It has the traditional lowest bridging point of the longest river in Great Britain, connecting it with Over . The 2011 census recorded that the city had a population of 121,921 and by 2016 its population was estimated to be 128,488. The city's urban area extends beyond its boundaries, with several outlying districts . The 2021 census gave
1222-559: Is Grade II listed, and Church House, which was originally the Abbot's Lodge and is now utilised as offices and a restaurant and is listed at Grade I. On the south-eastern edge of the Green, No.s 17, 18 and 19 are listed at Grade II, while 20 College Green is Grade II*. Miller's Green is entered through the Inner Gateway, between Community House and No. 7, Miller's Green. The gateway dates from
1316-592: Is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England . Gloucester lies on the River Severn , between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west; it is sited 19 miles (31 km) from Monmouth , 33 miles (53 km) from Bristol , and 17 miles (27 km) east of the border with Wales . Gloucester has a population of around 132,000, including suburban areas. It
1410-492: Is a fine Art Nouveau clock face in the north transept, dating from 1903, designed by Henry Wilson . The bells were rehung and augmented in 1978 to give a ring of twelve. The two oldest bells date from before 1420, so they are older than the present tower. The bells are rung 'full circle' by the cathedral's band of ringers for the weekly practice session In addition there is Great Peter, the largest medieval bell in Britain, weighing
1504-713: Is a port, linked via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal to the Severn Estuary . Gloucester was founded by the Romans and became an important city and colony in AD 97, under Emperor Nerva as Colonia Glevum Nervensis . It was granted its first charter in 1155 by Henry II . In 1216, Henry III , aged only nine years, was crowned with a gilded iron ring in the Chapter House of Gloucester Cathedral. Gloucester's significance in
1598-426: Is commemorated in a stained-glass window in the south aisle. Between 1873 and 1890, and in 1897, the cathedral was extensively restored by George Gilbert Scott . The cathedral has forty-six 14th-century misericords and twelve 19th-century replacements by Gilbert Scott. Both types have a wide range of subject matter: mythology, everyday occurrences, religious symbolism and folklore. The cloisters at Gloucester are
1692-425: Is confused; at some point in the early 11th century the monastic buildings were destroyed by fire, and it is recorded that Ealdred , Bishop of Worcester rebuilt the church in around 1058 on a site "a little further from the place where it stood, and nearer to the side of the city". The foundations of the present church were laid by Abbot Serlo (1072–1104). Appointed by William the Conqueror in 1072, Serlo found
1786-440: Is entered through St Michael's Gate, which dates from the 14th century and is listed at Grade I. No.s 1, 2, 3, and 4 are listed Grade II and stand between St Michael's Gate and King Edward's Gate, which dates from the 16th century, was subject to a major restoration in the 19th century and is listed at II*. No.s 6, 7, and 8 conclude the south-western edge of the green and are all listed at Grade II. No.9 College Green begins
1880-454: Is mentioned in the 18th century as a possible Latin name related to the city. The first bridging point on a navigable, defensive barrier, great river and the foundation in 681 of the abbey of St Peter by Æthelred of Mercia , favoured town growth; and before the Norman conquest of England , Gloucester was a borough governed by a portreeve , with a castle which was frequently a royal residence, and
1974-399: Is partly filled with surviving medieval stained glass . When completed in 1350, it was the largest window in existence. One window is said to depict the earliest images of the game of golf . This dates from 1350, over 300 years earlier than the earliest image of golf from Scotland. Another image, carved on a misericord , shows people playing a ball game, which has been suggested as one of
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#17328450944572068-662: The Doctor Who episodes The Next Doctor and the Fugitive of the Judoon ; The Hollow Crown ; Wolf Hall ; the Sherlock special The Abominable Bride ; Mary Queen of Scots ; and all three of The Cousins' War adaptations – The White Queen , The White Princess and The Spanish Princess . Degree ceremonies of the University of Gloucestershire and
2162-506: The Chapter House , the Cloisters , the precinct wall and a number of the medieval gates into the cathedral enclosure. Others are listed at Grade II* and Grade II. The first recorded religious building on the site was a minster founded by Osric of Hwicce in around 679. A relative, Kyneburg, was consecrated as the first abbess by Bosel , Bishop of Worcester . Monastic life flourished, and
2256-561: The Church of England appoint its first woman as a diocesan bishop . The cathedral has frequently been used as a filming location, including as a stand-in for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies . The cathedral is a Grade I listed building . There are a large number of other listed buildings within the cathedral complex, many also listed at Grade I, the highest grade. These include the Treasury ,
2350-629: The English Civil War and plans for complete demolition formulated during the Commonwealth were not taken forward. The 18th and 19th centuries saw repeated periods of reconstruction, renovation and rebuilding. Counter to the approach sometimes adopted elsewhere in the Victorian era , the 19th century restorations at Gloucester, firstly by the local architects, Frederick S. Waller and Thomas Fulljames , and latterly by George Gilbert Scott , were "on
2444-513: The Middle Ages , the main export was wool, which came from the Cotswolds and was processed in Gloucester; other exports included leather and iron (tools and weapons). Gloucester also had a large fishing industry at that time. In 1222, a massive fire destroyed part of Gloucester. One of the most significant periods in Gloucester's history began in 1378 when Richard II convened Parliament in
2538-660: The Restoration , the Commonwealth coat continued to be used by the city rather than the Tudor coat. The Commonwealth coat, along with the crest and supporters, was legally granted to the city by letters patent dated 16 April 1945. This was reconfirmed in 1974 following the local government changes of that year. There are two tiers of local government covering Gloucester, at district (city) and county level: Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire County Council . The Quedgeley area of
2632-520: The Severn Estuary , allowing larger ships to reach the docks than would be possible on the tidal reaches of the river itself, which go well north of the city to Haw Bridge. The wharfs, warehouses and the docks themselves fell into disrepair until their renovation in the 1980s. They now form a public open space. Some warehouses now house the Gloucester Waterways Museum , others were converted into residential flats, shops and bars. Additionally,
2726-668: The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum is located in the Custom House. Gloucester is made up of a variety of neighbourhoods, some of which correspond to electoral divisions of the City Council. Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral , formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey , in Gloucester, England , stands in
2820-471: The Three Choirs Festival , is hosted by turns in this cathedral and those of Worcester and Hereford in rotation. The Three Choirs is the oldest annual musical festival in the world. The cathedral's clock, bells and the chimes are referred to in a repair agreement of 1525. The present clock, installed in 1898, is by Dent and Co, who built the clock for Big Ben. There is no external dial, but there
2914-502: The social history of Gloucestershire . The museum opened on 12 March 1860 as a private venture in three rooms at The Black Swan , provided rent-free by the poet Sydney Dobell . In 1896 the Corporation of the City of Gloucester took over the venture. The Victorian building, in the early Renaissance style, inspired by the work of T.G. Jackson , is Grade II listed by English Heritage . It
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3008-449: The 10,000 sandbags supplied by the Office of Works were used to protect the other monuments in the cathedral, including the tomb of Edward II. The cathedral celebrated its 900th anniversary in 1989. In 2015 Rachel Treweek was installed as bishop, the first woman to be appointed to a diocesan bishopric in the history of the Church of England . In September 2016 Gloucester Cathedral joined
3102-517: The 14th century and formed the gatehouse to the monastic service court. It is a Grade I listed building, while No. 7 is listed at Grade II. Other buildings on Miller's Green include the Deanery , listed at Grade II*, the Old Mill House, No. 2 Miller's Green, listed at Grade II, and No.s 3, 4A, 4B, 5 and 6, all listed at Grade II. In medieval times, daily worship was sung by boys and monks from
3196-576: The Cathedral and the Norman St Mary de Crypt Church, Gloucester in Southgate Street . Additionally, there is evidence of a Jewish community in Gloucester as early as 1158–1159; they lived around present-day East Gate Street and had a synagogue on the south side, near St Michael's church. Gloucester was probably the home of Rabbi Moses, who established an important Anglo-Jewish family. The Jews of
3290-544: The Church of England's ' Shrinking the footprint ' campaign, intended to reduce the Church of England's carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The cathedral commissioned a solar array on the cathedral roof which is expected to reduce the cathedral's energy costs by 25%. The installation was completed by November 2016, making the 927-year-old cathedral the oldest one in the UK with a solar installation. A redevelopment of an old car park next to
3384-518: The Middle Ages is underlined by the fact that it had a number of monastic establishments, including St Peter's Abbey, founded in 679 (later Gloucester Cathedral ); the nearby St Oswald's Priory , founded in the 880s or 890s; and Llanthony Secunda Priory , founded in 1136. The town is also the site of the siege of Gloucester in 1643, during which the city held out against Royalist forces in the First English Civil War . A major attraction of
3478-609: The Roman invasion of Britain. Initially, a Roman fort was established at present-day Kingsholm. Twenty years later, a larger legionary fortress was built on slightly higher ground nearby, centred on present-day Gloucester Cross, and a civilian settlement grew around it. Probably the Roman Legion XX Valeria Victrix was based here until 66 and then Legio II Augusta as they prepared to invade Roman Wales between 66 and 74 AD, who stayed later until around 87. Gloucester became
3572-715: The Second World War, two petroleum storage depots were constructed in Gloucester. A Government Civil Storage depot with six 4,000-ton semi-buried tanks was constructed on the Berkeley Canal in 1941/42 by Shell-Mex and BP and connected to the pipeline that ran from the Mersey to the Avon. It was also connected to the Air Force Reserve Depot and a Shell Mex and BP facility for road and rail loading. Due to severe tank corrosion, it
3666-535: The abbey. The cathedral's current choir was established by King Henry VIII in 1539, and at present is composed of 18 boy and 20 girl choristers, as well as 12 adult singers. The choristers attend the King's School , which was also founded by Henry VIII. The choir sings regularly during term time and at major religious festivals such as Christmas or Easter . It also takes part in concerts and has been featured in choral evensong on BBC Radio 3 . The cathedral's first organ
3760-472: The abolished County Borough of Gloucester. The reforms also saw the city become subordinate to Gloucestershire County Council, losing the independence it had held since 1483. The parish of Quedgeley was subsequently transferred into Gloucester from Stroud District in 1991. Quedgeley retains its own parish council, unlike the rest of Gloucester, which is an unparished area . In 2017, Quedgeley Parish Council changed its name to Quedgeley Town Council, making it
3854-456: The archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler . Objects in the museum include: The art collection includes about 300 paintings including works by J. M. W. Turner and Thomas Gainsborough as well as a painting of Oliver Cromwell without his famous warts. In 1977, the collection acquired a landscape of Newnham-on-Severn from Dean Hill by William Turner of Oxford with help from The Art Fund . Gloucester Regent magazine March 1987 p2-6 discusses
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3948-465: The ascent of her son Henry to the throne Henry II of England , Henry granted Robert possession of Cardiff Castle , and it later passed to William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester son of Robert. The story of the Anarchy is vividly told in a series of 19th-century paintings by William Burges at the Castle. Henry granted Gloucester its first charter in 1155, which gave the burgesses the same liberties as
4042-453: The cathedral was finished in 2018, making the car park a green space. The cathedral consists of a Norman nave ( Walter de Lacy is buried there), with additions in every style of Gothic architecture . It is 420 feet (130 m) long, and 144 feet (44 m) wide, with a fine central tower of the 15th century rising to the height of 225 ft (69 m) and topped by four delicate pinnacles . The crypt, nave and chapter house date from
4136-458: The chapter house adjoins the treasury. Other structures in the precincts now form part of King's School, Gloucester including: the remains of the Abbott's lodgings and Dulverton House, both listed at Grade II*, and the gymnasium, Dulverton House Coachhouse, Wardle House, Palace Cottage and a set of railings surrounding a playground, all of which are listed at Grade II. College Green lies to
4230-423: The citizens of London and Winchester . A second charter of Henry II gave them freedom of passage on the River Severn . The first charter was confirmed in 1194 by King Richard I . The privileges of the borough were greatly extended by the charter of King John (1200), which gave freedom from toll throughout the kingdom and from pleading outside the borough. In 1216, King Henry III , aged only ten years,
4324-627: The city is Gloucester Cathedral , which is the burial place of King Edward II and Walter de Lacy ; it features in scenes from the Harry Potter films. Other features of interest include the museum and school of art and science, the former county jail (on the site of a Saxon and Norman castle), the Shire Hall (now headquarters of the County Council ) and the Whitefield memorial church. A park in
4418-450: The city is a civil parish with a town council, forming a third tier of local government; the remainder of the city is an unparished area . Gloucester was an ancient borough , being treated as a borough from Saxon times and being granted its first known borough charter by Henry II in 1155. In 1483 the town of Gloucester was given the right to appoint its own magistrates, making it a county corporate , administratively independent from
4512-582: The city. Parliaments were held there until 1406 under Henry IV of England . The Parliament Rooms at the Cathedral remain as testimony to this important time. Gloucester was incorporated by King Richard III in 1483, the town being made a county in itself. The City's charter was confirmed in 1489 and 1510, and other charters of incorporation were received by Gloucester from Queen Elizabeth I and King James I . Princess Mary visited Gloucester in September 1525 accompanied by her ladies and gentlewomen. She
4606-637: The civil storage site. It was transferred from the Air Ministry to the Ministry of Power in 1959, closed in the 1990s and disposed of in the later 2000s. Gloucester's most important citizens include Robert Raikes (founder of the Sunday School movement) who is still commemorated by the name of Robert Raikes' House in Southgate Street. Its most infamous citizen was Fred West . In July 2007 , Gloucester
4700-581: The cloisters, with their famed fan vaulting. St Peter's was unusual as a religious foundation in commissioning its own history, the Historia Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestriae . Its author, Walter Frocester (died 1412), became its first mitred abbot in 1381. At its inception, the abbey stood in the see of Worcester ; but its position was transformed at the Dissolution of the monasteries . Following abolition, Henry VIII created
4794-594: The controversial painting of dog excrement on a silver platter. However local artists praised its daring content. In 1976, excavations by the museum's Excavation Unit at St. Oswald's Priory yielded important new finds relating to the Saxon minster founded by Æthelred , Ealdorman of Mercia and his wife Æthelflæd in the 890s. 51°51′49″N 2°14′40″W / 51.8635°N 2.2445°W / 51.8635; -2.2445 Gloucester Gloucester ( / ˈ ɡ l ɒ s t ər / GLOSS -tər )
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#17328450944574888-439: The damage and update the architectural style, an ambitious building campaign was launched, including the revaulting of the nave Early English style (completed 1243); the construction of the central tower (begun 1237); the rebuilding of the collapsed south tower (completed 1246); and the rebuilding of the refectory. The south aisle was rebuilt in 1318–29. The most notable monument is the canopied shrine of Edward II of England who
4982-534: The earliest images of medieval football . Between the apsidal chapels is a cross Lady chapel , and north of the nave are the cloisters , the carrels or stalls for the monks' study and writing lying to the south. In a side-chapel is a monument in coloured bog oak of Robert Curthose , eldest son of William the Conqueror and a great benefactor of the abbey, who was interred there. Monuments of William Warburton (Bishop of Gloucester) and Edward Jenner (physician) are also worthy of note. The coronation of Henry III
5076-569: The earliest surviving fan vaults in England, having been designed between 1351 and 1377 by Thomas de Cantebrugge. David Verey and Alan Brooks, in the 2002 revised volume, Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean , in the Pevsner Buildings of England series, call them "the most memorable in England". The cathedral itself suggests that they form "the first and best example of fan vaulting in
5170-451: The fall of nearby Bristol encouraged the reinforcement of the existing town defences. The siege of Gloucester commenced in 1643 in which the besieged parliamentarians emerged victorious. The Royalist's plan of bombardment and tunnelling to the east gate failed due to the inadequacy of the Royalist artillery and the besieged sniping and conducting artillery fire on the Royalist encampment. By
5264-439: The finest, examples of fan vaulting anywhere. The cathedral contains the shrine of Edward II , who was murdered at nearby Berkeley Castle . Following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536, the abbey was refounded as a cathedral. The cathedral underwent much restoration in the 18th century, and again in the 19th. In 1989, it celebrated its 900th anniversary. In 2015, the installation of Rachel Treweek saw
5358-411: The late 11th century. The crypt is one of the four apsidal cathedral crypts in England, the others being at Worcester , Winchester and Canterbury . The nave was begun in 1089. The church was largely complete by 1100. In the early 12th century, the western towers were added; the south tower collapsed around 1165. In 1222, a fire damaged the timber roof and several of the monastic buildings. To repair
5452-474: The latest reconstruction to be completed by the time of the next Three Choirs' Festival in 2026. In 1582, Robert Lichfield is recorded as the organist of Gloucester Cathedral. Notable among the organists are composers and choral conductors of the Three Choirs Festival , Herbert Brewer , Herbert Sumsion and John Sanders . Herbert Howells , who was a pupil of Brewer, composed a Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for Gloucester Cathedral An annual musical festival,
5546-501: The lifting of the Siege of Gloucester in 1643, during which the city held out against Royalist forces during the First English Civil War . Gloucester is one of the few cities in England with two coats of arms. The first consists of three chevrons surrounded by ten roundels. The chevrons come from the arms of the Clare family , who were earls of Gloucester from the 12th to the 14th centuries, while
5640-540: The mid-17th century, only the gatehouse and keep of Gloucester Castle remained, the latter of which was being used as a gaol until it was deemed unsuitable and demolished in the late 1780s. By 1791, the new gaol was completed leaving no trace of the former castle. In the 19th century, the city grew with new buildings including Wellington Parade and the Grade II listed Picton House (c. 1825). The 1896 Gloucester smallpox epidemic affected some 2000 residents. During
5734-485: The motto Fides Invicta Triumphat ("unconquered faith triumphs", in reference to the royalist siege withstood by the city in 1643). The second coat, termed the "Tudor coat", was granted in 1538. It features the roses of York and Lancaster, the boar's head of Richard III, a ceremonial sword and cap, and two horseshoes surrounded by nails, to represent Gloucester's historical association with ironworking. Although grants made by Commonwealth heralds were nullified after
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#17328450944575828-542: The name Gloucestershire was too difficult to spell. A sculpture in the city centre celebrates Gloucester's aviation history and its involvement in the jet engine . From the city's Roman name, Glevum , Anglo-Saxon migrants after 410, with their fledgling feudal structure, the Kingdom of Wessex , replaced the area's Romano-Celtic society and changed the city's name to Caerloyw ( IPA: [kaɨrˈlɔɨʊ, kairˈlɔiʊ] ), Gloucester's name in modern Welsh , while recognising
5922-573: The nearby St Oswald's Priory, Gloucester founded in the 880s or 890s, Llanthony Secunda Priory, founded 1136 as a retreat for a community of Welsh monks (now near the western bypass), the Franciscan Greyfriars community founded in 1231 (near Eastgate Shopping Centre ), and the Dominican Blackfriars community founded in 1239 (Ladybellegate Street). It also has some very early churches including St Mary de Lode Church, Gloucester near
6016-402: The new Diocese of Gloucester and on 3 September 1541, the abbey church became its cathedral, with John Wakeman , last abbot of Tewkesbury , as its first bishop. The diocese covered the greater part of Gloucestershire , with small parts of Herefordshire and Wiltshire . Although staunchly Royalist in its sympathies, the city, and the cathedral, escaped largely unscathed from the tumult of
6110-516: The new walls. Remains of the Roman city can still be seen: Withdrawal of all Roman forces and many societal leaders in about the year 410 may have allowed leading families of the Dobunni tribe to regain power within the now Roman-influenced, interconnected and intermixed Celtic Brythonic local people. This intermix is reflected by the fact a large minority of basic words and available synonyms in Welsh have
6204-428: The north of the city near the River Severn . It originated with the establishment of a minster , Gloucester Abbey, dedicated to Saint Peter and founded by Osric , King of the Hwicce , in around 679. The subsequent history of the church is complex; Osric's foundation came under the control of the Benedictine Order at the beginning of the 11th century and in around 1058, Ealdred , Bishop of Worcester , established
6298-419: The population of the Gloucester Urban Area as 169,061, absorbing areas such as Brockworth and Churchdown . The city is located on the eastern bank of the River Severn , sheltered by the Cotswolds to the east, while the Forest of Dean and the Malvern Hills rise to the west and north, respectively. Gloucester is a port, linked via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal which runs from Gloucester's docks to
6392-438: The possessions of the house increased, but after 767 it seems probable that the nuns dispersed during the confusion of civil strife in England. Beornwulf of Mercia is said to have rebuilt the church, and to have endowed a body of secular priests with the former possessions of the nuns. In 1022 Wulfstan , Bishop of Worcester, had the Benedictine rule introduced and the abbey dedicated to St Peter. The early building history
6486-477: The presence of the Roman fort. Caerloyw is a compound of caer , meaning 'fort, stronghold, castle', and loyw , a lenition of gloyw as it would have been pronounced by many speakers, meaning 'bright, shiny, glowy'. A variant of the term -cester/chester/caster instead of the Welsh caer was eventually adopted. The name Gloucester thus means roughly "bright fort". Mediaeval orthographies include Caer Glow , Gleawecastre and Gleucestre . This etymology
6580-421: The remains of the infirmary itself, and the north Precinct Wall. The other major structures within the precincts are the Chapter house and the Treasury and library . They date initially from the 11th century, although they have undergone major reconstruction in subsequent centuries. Both are Grade I listed buildings. The treasury adjoins the main cathedral on its northern side, with the library above it, and
6674-401: The roundels come from the arms of the Bishop of Worcester , whose bishopric historically encompassed Gloucester. This coat is the older of the two, though it is usually termed the "Commonwealth coat", as it was not officially granted to the city until 1652, during the Commonwealth period. The crest and supporters (lions bearing broadswords and trowels) were also adopted at this time, along with
6768-402: The site of the legionary principia an imposing central forum was laid out surrounded by colonnades and flanked on three sides by part-timbered ranges of shops. Closing off the south of the forum was the 100m x 40m Basilica . Many fine homes with mosaic floors were built in the town. At its height, Glevum may have had a population of as many as 10,000 people. The entire area around Glevum
6862-441: The south and west of the cathedral, forming its cathedral close . It was originally the site of a series of monastic graveyards, but was largely rebuilt in the 18th century when many of the buildings were converted to domestic use. Miller's Green forms a close to the north of the cathedral and was originally the monastic service court. Both Miller's Green and College Green contain a large number of listed buildings . College Green
6956-597: The south of the city contains a spa, a chalybeate spring having been discovered in 1814. Economically, the city is dominated by the service industries and has strong financial, research, distribution and light industrial sectors. Historically, it was prominent in the aerospace industry. In 1926, the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company at Brockworth changed its name to the Gloster Aircraft Company because international customers claimed that
7050-522: The surrounding county of Gloucestershire . When the Diocese of Gloucester was founded in 1541, the town was given the right to call itself a city . The city was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . When elected county councils were established in 1889, Gloucester was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it
7144-460: The time of Queen Mary in 1555. In 1580, Gloucester was awarded the status of a port by Queen Elizabeth I. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the foundation of two of Gloucester's grammar schools: the Crypt School in 1539 and Sir Thomas Rich's School in 1666. Both still flourish as grammar schools today, along with Ribston Hall and Denmark Road High School . During the English Civil War ,
7238-676: The town were falsely accused by the Dominican monks of murdering a child, Harold of Gloucester , in an attempt to establish a cult similar to that of William of Norwich , which failed entirely. Nevertheless, the accusations were recycled around the time of the Edict of Expulsion . In January 1275, Eleanor of Provence expelled Jews from all of the towns within her dower lands, and the Jews of Gloucester were ordered to move to Bristol but finding an especially difficult situation there, relocated to Hereford . In
7332-485: The venue for the coronation of Henry III , after the death of his father, King John . The nine-year-old boy was crowned in the presence of his mother Isabella , whose bracelet was reputedly used in place of a crown. The abbey's royal connections continued, albeit in a darker vein, in the following century. In 1327, Edward II was buried in an elaborate shrine at Gloucester, following his death at Berkeley Castle nearby. Widely believed to have been murdered, Edward
7426-586: The western range of the close and is listed Grade II*. The western range includes No.s 10, 11, 12, Beaufort House, and 13, all of which are listed at Grade II, and concludes with No. 14, which is listed Grade II*. The close is broken by St Mary's Gateway, a scheduled monument . The War Memorial to the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry, a Grade II* listed structure, stands in the centre of College Green. The northern side of College Green concludes with No. 15, Community House, which
7520-570: The whole, very tactful" [see box]. During the Second World War a recess in the crypt was used to house the Coronation Chair , which had been moved in August 1939 from Westminster Abbey for safe keeping. The 13th century bog-oak effigy of Robert Curthose was placed on the chair and the whole covered by sandbags. The Great East Window was also dismantled and placed in storage. The remainder of
7614-433: The world that made them , is certain that the presence of the body of the dead king had a long-term, beneficial, impact on the abbey's fortunes, citing Henry VIII 's later decision to make it a cathedral, on account of the presence of "many famous monuments of our renowned ancestors, kings of England." However occasioned, the cathedral's improved financial position enabled another great period of building. This work included
7708-522: The world". The cloisters stand to the north of the cathedral and, along with the cathedral precincts to the north and east, contain a number of listed buildings. The Great Cloister itself is listed at Grade I, as are the Little Cloister and Little Cloister House, the remains of a reservoir in the north-west corner of the Great Cloister and a passage from the cloister to the former Infirmary ,
7802-451: Was built by Thomas Harris in 1666. Its original case remains complete, the only such surviving example from the 17th century in England. The pipes displayed on the front of the case are still functional. Over the following four centuries many of the major English organ builders have made contributions to the organ, including modifications in 1847 and a complete rebuild in 1888–1889 by Henry "Father" Willis . Harrison & Harrison undertook
7896-502: Was crowned with a gilded iron ring in the Chapter House of Gloucester Cathedral . During his reign, Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany his cousin was briefly imprisoned at Gloucester Castle as state prisoner from 1222 to 1223, and from 1237 to 1238, in addition to sometime during the reign of King John. Gloucester's significance in the Middle Ages is underlined by the fact that it had a number of monastic establishments, including St Peter's Abbey founded in 679 (later Gloucester Cathedral ),
7990-562: Was demolished in 1971/2 and disposed of in 1976. The second depot was an Air Force Reserve Depot with four 4,000-ton semi-buried tanks constructed in 1941/42 by Shell, Shell-Mex and BP at the Monk Meadow Dock on the Canal. Originally, delivery was by road, rail and barge and pipeline. It was also connected to the docks and to the Shell Mex and BP installation for rail and road loading facilities and
8084-485: Was entombed at Gloucester in a lavish ceremony attended by his widow, Isabella and their young son, Edward . The abbey reputedly benefitted from substantial gifts donated by those making pilgrimage to Edward's shrine, although this is disputed. Nikolaus Pevsner suggests that the more likely source of revenue was the new king, making donations in piam memoriam . Others support the traditional claim, and Jon Cannon, in his work, Cathedral: The great English cathedrals and
8178-574: Was first suggested by the Austrian philologist, Alfred Holder, in 1896. An alternative etymology has been proposed, which argues that the first element of the place-name is related to a Welsh word signifying 'valiant', rendering 'Gloucester' to mean 'fortress of the valiant'. Glevum was established around AD 48 at an important crossing of the River Severn and near to the Fosse Way , the early front line after
8272-455: Was hit badly by a flood that struck Gloucestershire and its surrounding areas. Hundreds of homes were flooded, but the event was most memorable because of its wider impact – about 40,000 people were without power for 24 hours, and the entire city (plus surrounding areas) was without piped water for 17 days. In 2009, Gloucester Day was revived as an annual day of celebration of Gloucester's history and culture. The day originally dates from
8366-494: Was intensely Romanised in the second and third centuries with a higher than normal distribution of villas. At the end of the third century or the start of the fourth, major changes were made to the city's second-century wall. It was replaced in two stages by a stronger and higher one of stone resting on massive reused stone blocks. In the second stage, the blocks rested on deep timber foundation piles. Stone external towers were added; two parallel wide ditches were also cut in front of
8460-469: Was made a county borough , independent from Gloucestershire County Council. Gloucester Guildhall at 23 Eastgate Street was built in 1892 and served as the city's administrative headquarters until 1986, when the council moved to North Warehouse at Gloucester Docks . On 1 April 1974, the modern district of Gloucester was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the same area as
8554-501: Was met by the Mayor, John Rawlins , at Quedgeley . Her father Henry VIII and his then Queen, Anne Boleyn , visited in July 1535. They used Gloucester as a base for hunting trips to Painswick , Coberley , and Miserden . They left Gloucester for Leonard Stanley , on their way to Berkeley Castle . Gloucester was the site of the execution by burning of John Hooper , Bishop of Gloucester, in
8648-480: Was murdered at nearby Berkeley Castle in 1327. Pilgrimages to the tomb brought a huge influx of cash enabling the rebuilding and redecorating of the south transept (1329–37), the north transept (1368–73), and the choir (1350–77). The Norman choir walls are sheathed in Perpendicular tracery. The multiplication of ribs, liernes and bosses in the choir vaulting is particularly rich. The late Decorated Great East window
8742-474: Was no longer feigning any pretence as a kingdom and became part of Mercia . Mercia, allied by matrimony and sharing a desire to counter the Danish onslaught as had conquered swathes of the wider island at large, submitted to Alfred the Great 's Kingdom of Wessex in about 877–883. A 20th-century writer intuitively adds that Roman stem Gleu- Glev- was, doubtless, pronounced without any final consonant. Claudia Castra
8836-625: Was originally the Price Memorial Hall of the Gloucester Science and Art Society , built for Margaret Price as a memorial to her husband William Edwin Price in 1893, and designed by F.S. Waller. The Corporation of the City of Gloucester took over the building as the City Museum & Art Gallery in 1902. Originally only on the ground floor, a first floor was added in 1958 which was opened by
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