Gloucester

Gloucester [ˈɡlɒstər] is a city in the southwest of England, near the border with Wales. In 2016, the population was around 128,000. Gloucester is the traditional administrative seat of the county of Gloucestershire. Together with neighbouring Cheltenham, the city is the seat of the University of Gloucestershire.

Gloucester itself lies on the left, eastern bank of the River Severn, some 185 kilometres to the west-northwest of London. It is surrounded by the Cotswolds to the east, while the Malvern Hills and the Forest of Dean rise to the west and northwest.

Gloucester has a harbour that connects the Gloucester and Sharpness Ship Canal with navigation on the River Severn. This allows ships to reach the docks despite the river's tidal range. Until the 1980s, the former dockland area of warehouses and stores fell into disrepair, until eventually the regeneration of the district brought it back to life. It is now home to the National Waterways Museum, an anchor of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), as well as many high-end apartments, shops and bars.

Places of interest

Gloucester's Holy Trinity Cathedral, near the river to the north of the city, stands on foundations of an ancient monastic complex dating from 681 and dedicated to St Peter. King Edward II of England was buried here. Henry VIII dissolved the abbey and in 1541 this church was raised to the status of cathedral for the new diocese of Gloucester. Numerous gabled and half-timbered houses of Gloucester's medieval period survive to this day. At the intersection of the city's four main streets stands the Tolsey, the city's town hall, which was replaced by a modern building in 1894. None of the earlier public buildings survive with the exception of the New Inn in Northgate Street (1450). The New Inn was built for pilgrims to the shrine of Edward II by Abbot Sebroke.

In addition to numerous churches, several smaller chapels exist in Gloucester. Four churches stand out from each other in their importance:

• St Mary de Lode, with a tower and pulpit dating from Norman times, said to have been built on a Roman temple site, making it the first Christian church in Britain.

• St Mary de Crypt, dating from the 12th century, with later additions and the tower worth seeing.
• the church of St. Michael, which is said to have been once connected with the old abbey of St. Peter, and

• the church of St Nicholas, originally a Norman building, whose tower and extensions date from later times.

In the neighbourhood of St. Mary de Crypt, remains of the monasteries of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars are still preserved. Parts of the city walls can also be seen here.

Economy

The main landing gear for the Airbus A350 XWB long-haul wide-body aircraft is manufactured at Safran Landing Systems in Gloucester.