The nearest city, Gloucester, is just up the road in a 20-minute drive. It’s a great city, steeped in history. We’ve put together some little facts about Gloucester to educate you about one of England’s oldest towns
Roman Gloucester
The city of Gloucester that we all know today started life as a Roman town in the 1st century AD. It’s believed that around 49AD, the Roman settlers built a fort to defend the River Severn crossing, as Gloucester was seen as an important colony town under Emperor Nerva, known as Colonia Nervia Glevensium or Glevum. The colony was believed to be inhabited by retired legionaries and given farming land in the surrounding area.
When the 4th century arrived, Britain saw the decline of the Roman civilisation and the last Roman soldiers are thought to have left Britain around 407 AD. When the Romans left, it is thought by scholars and experts that the majority of Roman towns were abandoned, left to be retaken by the natives.
Saxon Gloucester
The Saxons captured Gloucester in a battle with the native Celt population around 577 AD. The town grew with the new civilisation settlements and in the 7th century, a monastery was founded in Gloucester, causing the town to fully revive.
In little time, tradesmen and craftsmen came back to the town and families grew and populated the town. Over the next couple of centuries, Gloucester grew to become a key town, with the Gloucester mint being established in the 10th century.
Middle Ages Gloucester
After William I conquered England in 1066, he ordered the Domesday book to be created across England to document the towns, places and people. Kind of like how we have a Census taken every 10 years. Historians have learned that Gloucester had an approximate population of 3,500, which was a rather large population by the Middle Ages standard, and was ranked the 10th wealthiest town in England.
Being next to the River Severn, the town was in an integral position, which is why Gloucester castle was built in the 11th century, and then again in stone in the 12th century. The castle was a particular favourite of King Henry III. The castle was predominately used as a form of jail since around 1185, and through some way or another, the site continued to be a prison until its closure in 2013.
The town grew richer on the back of the wool and leather trade, processing the raw materials brought in from other towns. However, due to competition from other towns in the growing wool trade and no longer the need for such defences, now that Wales was conquered, the town declined.
At the end of the Middle Ages, in 1541, Gloucester was given its first bishop by Henry VIII, and the Abbey Church quickly became a cathedral.
Victorian Gloucester
Gloucester came bounding into the new era with life-changing improvements that we today would take for granted. Gas street lighting was introduced in 1820, with 1831 seeing a pharmacy dispensary where the poor could obtain free medicine. As the 19th century rolled on and the industrial revolution steamed in, with piped water supply being introduced throughout the town and a working sewage system introduced a few decades later.
Gloucester’s Victoria dock opened in 1849, which was a great advantage to the city and vastly opened opportunities to the residents, 20% of whom worked in the pin-making business. With the docks, the railway entered Gloucester in 1840, creating new jobs in a new industry.
Modern Gloucester
The 1900s saw Gloucester start the climb to become the brimming city it is known for today. 1900 saw electricity supply introduced into the city, with previously horse-drawn trams replaced with electric ones until 1929 saw the introduction of the buses.
During the 1920s, slum clearing began, replacing unfit impoverished living conditions with council housing. This continues well into the 1950s and 60s, with the city growing and producing modern council housing alongside private housing.
During the later 20th century, Gloucester became a hive for manufacturing industries, from agriculture to railway to aircraft. However, as the new millennium approached, the focus become more on white-collar industries such as banking and insurance.
Today, Gloucester is a thriving city with visitors from all over, coming to see the great historical sites. In 2009, it was declared that 5th September is annually recognised as Gloucester day, in acknowledgement of the lifting of the siege of Gloucester in 1643 during the English Civil War.
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