An inland port that was once a major one along the River Severn, Gloucester is located at the southernmost point of the England’s West Country on the cusp of the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean.
It was originally Glevum, the Roman fortification of Glevum that was used to defend an important crossing over the Severn and gaining it a town charter with Henry II , in 1155. Gloucester’s cathedral must be given the top spot due to its impressive Perpendicular tower as well as Norman nave.
in the late 19th century,, the city’s fortunes were changed by the development of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, and striking Victorian warehouses are still a part of the docks that are part of the city. They are now a luxury shopping mall and residential district.
Following the war Gloucester saw a flourishing aerospace industry, and you are able to see an impressive collection of planes manufactured for Gloster Aircraft Company. Gloster Aircraft Company in The Jet Age Museum.
Let’s look at the best activities to enjoy when you visit Gloucester:
1. Gloucester Cathedral
The origins for Gloucester Cathedral go back to an abbey that was established in the 670s.
The cathedral as we know it was completed between 11th and 15th centuries. It features an Norman Romanesque core, and ornaments from all phases of English Gothic architecture.
From a distance, one cannot help but be drawn by the 15th century Perpendicular building, that measures taller than 69 meters and is crowned with four pinnacles. The nave is distinctively Norman with its strong circular columns that support semi-circular bays. They are encased by an older Early English Gothic vaulted ceiling.
Check out the Look for the Decorated Gothic East Window, that has Medieval stained glass. In addition, the cloisters are home to England’s first fan vaults, which were built from 1351 to 1377. The most significant monument inside this cathedral is the grave of Edward II, who was killed not far from Berkeley Castle in 1327.
2. Gloucester Docks
Gloucester is the most in-depth port that is located in the inland, and began to come about during the early decades in the late 19th century after the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal was completed.
After the introduction of railroads and road freight the docks were abandoned during the 20th century until being reborn as a chic commercial and residential zone in the 1980s.
It is home to the 15 monolithic Victorian warehouses in Gloucester, attesting to the quantity of goods that travelled through Gloucester during the time the port was at its peak.
It is possible to also visit a chapel that was built for the city’s mariners in 19th century as well as a dry dock that is good working order, and all kinds of other old structures beautiful preserved.
The warehouses have been converted into museums and homes and some have even been converted to accommodate the Gloucester Quays mall.
3. Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
In 1827, the 16.5-mile canal runs through a loop of the River Severn between Gloucester in the north and Sharpness in the south.
When it was finished, it was the longest and longest canal that existed, allowing vessels of much greater size to pass through the docks of Gloucester than was feasible on this stretch of river.
The vast length of canal surrounded by a series of swing bridges that are large and bulky, along with the quaint houses of bridge-keepers that give the canal an individual character. If you want to spend a relaxing morning in the country, you can walk on the towpath and stop on the banks of grass for the picnic or for a meal at the pub.
There’s a fantastic wetland center in Slimbridge near the canal, in which you can spot wildlife, from waterfowl migrating to Otters.
4. Gloucester Life
The Gloucestershire Museum for its social history is located in two gorgeous half-timbered houses along Westgate Street.
Together, they are the remains of a Tudor merchant’s home as well as a townhouse dating back to the 16th century.
According to legend, John Hooper, the Anglican Bishop of Gloucester spent the night in the home of a merchant that night before being burned in 1555 by the Mary I. Mary I in 1555. There are many things to visit inside these homes include equipment for fishing in the River Severn, period costumes and a replica of a classroom during Victorian times as well as scenes from daily life in the past five centuries, and the inside of a pin manufacturing facility which was once located at this location.
5. Robinswood Hill Country Park
The 200-metre hill that lies to the south of Gloucester was once the city with water. Springs erupt from Robinswood Hill and were harnessed by Gloucester Abbey in the 1200s.
Reservoirs were dredged in the 19th century. they were filled up the second half of the 20th century in order to provide amenities to the park which is located on the hill today. Within these 250 acres, you are able to take in stunning views of and over the Black Mountains in the west and south toward Cotswolds, south of the Severn Bridge and Cotswolds, and north towards Malvern Hills. Malvern Hills.
An old orchard was rebuilt on the hill. the park is now a protected as a natural reserve that provides the habitat of species like badgers, foxes, and red kites.
6. Nature in Art
A trip of three miles to the north of Gloucester will bring you to this magnificent collection of art inspired by nature. It’s located in the magnificent Georgian house Wallsworth Hall.
It is said to be the most extensive collection of art that is based on nature around the globe and is available in a variety of mediums.
In the collection permanent are works from British artists and illustrators who dedicated their lives to wildlife, including George Edward Lodge, Eric Ennion, Charles Tunnicliffe and Archibald Thorburn and well-known artists such as Picasso and a variety of Flemish Masters. The bronze artifacts include pieces of modern glass porcelain objects made from porcelain from in the Far East, watercolours, engravings, and woodcarvings.
Kids can participate in workshops during the summer holidays, and there’s a cafe that looks out onto the sculpture garden.
7. Blackfriars Gloucester
The facility is managed by Gloucester City Council, Blackfriars is unusually full Dominican black friary is open on Mondays and Sundays during the summer months.
The friary was established near the southern wall of Gloucester in 1239 with the support by the King Henry III. When the monastery was defunct in the middle of the 16th century, Blackfriars was kept as a mansion. its cloisters turned into a factory for caps and residences in the early 1700s.
Restored in the year 1960, the complex is filled with interesting things to see including the scissor-braced roofing in the dormitory, and the first library built specifically for purpose to exist within the UK.
8. Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum
This museum for military history located in an old Custom House on the docks chronicles the history of both the Gloucester Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. The exhibit’s objects cover three centuries and are connected to the numerous conflicts these regiments were involved in throughout in the Napoleonic Wars to peacekeeping in the Balkans during the 1990s.
The museum holds the two Victoria Crosses, the highest distinction for gallantry in the UK honors system.
There’s also an assortment of life-like tableaux and audio clips, archive footage weapons, bits of equipment and painting, heavy machinery and silverware, as well as uniforms.
9. Museum of Gloucester
In the midst of a Victorian Renaissance Revival building, the Museum of Gloucester is an captivating miscellany that covers applied art, fine art, archaeology, palaeontology along with local and historical.
One item to add to your list will be Rufus Sita Tombstone, a 1st century Roman stele found in London Road and more than 1.2 meters in height.
In the collection of art are artworks of Thomas Gainsborough and J. M. W. Turner and J. M. W. Turner. There’s also Dutch Delftware, as well as Arts and Crafts bowls by Alfred and Louise Powell.
Children will be fascinated by the fossils of dinosaurs and among the most unusual exhibits is a picture of Oliver Cromwell without his characteristic warts.
10. Gloucester Waterways Museum
Within the Gloucester Quays development in the Gloucester Quays development, the Gloucester Waterways Museum explores the 200 years of time-line of Gloucester Docks as well as navigation and shipping in the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. The attraction is part that is part of Llanthony Warehouse, constructed in 1873, and previously utilized for timber, alcohol and grain.
In the galleries , you can find exhibits that are interactive models, old signs, as well as a collection of historic vessels, including barges, tugboats and narrowboats.
It’s possible to imagine what an old canal repair facility would be like, by visiting its forge and machine shop as well as examining its hydraulic accumulation system as well as its heavy oil engine steam crane, and weighbridge.
