Visit Gloucester Places

Welcome to Visit Gloucester Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Gloucester

  

Gloucester Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Gloucester

---

Gloucester history

---

Roman Gloucester

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 the Roman invasion of Britain. A Roman fort was established at present-day Kingsholm and a larger legionary fortress was built on slightly higher ground nearby, centred on Gloucester Cross.

Post-Roman Gloucester

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. A large minority of basic words and available synonyms in Welsh have a Latin base. In the early 10th century the remains of Saint Oswald were brought to a small church here and shrine built there.

Normans

A unique coin, dated to 1077–80, was discovered, just north of the city, in November 2011. It features the name of the moneyer Silacwine and its place of minting. After the Norman Conquest, Robert Fitzhamon was the first baron or overlord of Gloucester.

Modern era

Gloucester was incorporated by King Richard III in 1483, the town being made a county in itself. The siege of Gloucester in 1643 was a battle of the English Civil War in which the besieged parliamentarians emerged victorious. During the Second World War, two petroleum storage depots were constructed in Gloucester.

Coat of arms

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 second coat, termed the “Tudor coat”, was granted in 1538. The Commonwealth coat, along with the crest and supporters, was legally granted to the city by letters patent dated 16 April 1945.

Gloucester culture & places

The Three Choirs Festival, originating in the 18th century, is held in Gloucester every third year. The annual Gloucester International Rhythm and Blues Festival takes place at the end of July and early August. The main museum in the city is The Museum of Gloucester but there are several important museums.

Gloucester etymology

From the city’s Roman name, Glevum, Anglo-Saxon migrants after 410, with their fledgling feudal structure, the Kingdom of Wessex, culturally overwhelmed the area’s Romano-Celtic society. A variant of the term -cester/chester/caster instead of the Welsh caer was eventually adopted.

Gloucester geography / climate

Gloucester is the county town of Gloucestershire, and is the 53rd largest settlement in the United Kingdom by population. 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 is located on the eastern bank of the River Severn, sheltered by the Cotswolds to the east.

You can visit Gloucester places with Walkfo Gloucester to hear history at Gloucester’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Gloucester has 124 places to visit in our interactive Gloucester map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Gloucester, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Gloucester places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Gloucester & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 124 audio facts unique to Gloucester places in an interactive Gloucester map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Gloucester Places Map
124 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

---

–

Gloucester historic spots	Gloucester tourist destinations	Gloucester plaques	Gloucester geographic features
Walkfo Gloucester tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Gloucester

  

Best Gloucester places to visit

---

Gloucester has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Gloucester’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Gloucester’s information audio spots:

Matson, Gloucester Matson is a suburb in the City of Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the outskirts of the city centre.

Tredworth Road Cemetery Tredworth Road Cemetery, sometimes known as Gloucester Old Cemetery, is a cemetery in Gloucester, England. It contains over 250 war graves maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The cemetery chapel is a grade II listed building.

Coney Hill Hospital Coney Hill Hospital was a mental health facility in Gloucester, England. It was located on the outskirts of Gloucester in the 1960s and 1960s.

St Barnabas Church, Gloucester St Barnabas Church is a Grade II listed building in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. It was built in 1938–40 and obtained its Grade II status on 9 March 1982. The church’s denomination is the Church of England.

Robin’s Wood Hill Quarry Robin’s Wood Hill Quarry (grid reference SO836148) is a 1.67-hectare (4.1-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, on Robinswood Hill.

St Paul and St Stephen’s Church, Gloucester St Paul and St Stephen’s Church is a Church of England church located in Stroud Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire. St Paul’s church was built between 1882 and 1883 and closed in 2010.

Podsmead Podsmead is one mile from the historic city centre. The population of this Gloucester Ward was 2,994 at the 2011 Census. It is close to the hamlet of Hempsted.

Spa Ground Spa Ground is a cricket ground in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1867, when Gloucester played an All-England Eleven.

Bristol Road Bristol Road dates from the medieval period. It runs between Southgate Street in the north and Quedgeley in the south. It contains a number of listed buildings and other notable structures.

Gloucester Park, Gloucester Gloucester Park is an urban park in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. It is located in the city centre of Gloucester.

Visit Gloucester plaques