We have recently visited Gloucester where we met up with our good friends Paul and Carole of Paul and Carole Love to Travel. The visit was a good excuse to catch up and also to see some more sights in the historic City of Gloucester.
The Start of the Day
We booked a room for our stay at the New County Hotel. Conveniently situated in the centre of the city this Hotel proved to be good value and a great location. There is a bar called Harvey’s which is part of the hotel which we found very pleasant. The bar has been sympathetically decorated and upgraded to a high level. The little themed booths are quite unusual and a great idea if you are popping in with friends. There is a reasonable cocktail menu and some light lunchtime bar snacks. Breakfast is not served here but if you are staying in this hotel one of the recommended places is the New Inn. We did go there the following day for breakfast – and were not disappointed.
A Potted History of Gloucester
Gloucester can trace its roots back before Roman times. However it was the Romans who established it as a town (Glevum). The area grew with the building of a Basilica, a forum and became a trading centre. Emperor Nerva granted the town high status when he declared ‘Colonia Nervia Glevensis’ was to be one of the administrative capitals of Britain.
During the late Saxon times Queen Aethelflaed made Gloucester an important political centre for the Mercians, redesigned the city’s street system, and repaired its walls and defences. She founded the St. Oswald’s Priory where she was buried after her death. As England became a more unified country, Kings such as Edward the Confessor, and William the Conqueror regularly held council with their nobles at the Saxon Palace in Kingsholm. In 1085 the order for the Domesday Book was decreed in Gloucester.
Medieval times saw the crowning of Henry III and the burial of Edward II. However it declined in status until the Cathedral was finished in the late 15th Century and it became a centre of pilgrimage.
We saw just a little snippet of the historical buildings and there is so much more to explore.
The Haunted New Inn
Many of the local buildings are steeped in history and one that we visited was the New Inn. The New Inn is a Grade 1 Listed Tudor-style hotel in the centre of Gloucester, constructed between 1430 and 1450 by the Abbey. It was originally built as a Pilgrims Inn to house visitors to the shrine of King Edward II. In the 16th Century it was popular with strolling minstrels and it’s rumoured that William Shakespeare appeared there.
Perhaps the most notorious visitor was Lady Jane Grey. At the ageof 16 she was proclaimed Queen from the gallery of the courtyard upon the death of her young husband. She reigned for 9 days and was eventually beheaded in the Tower of London. However from then on there have been reports of ghostly figures, glasses and bottles being moved. Believed to be the work of a restless spirit – but who?
The Fountain Inn
A little less dramatic, but no less interesting is The Fountain Inn. It is one of the oldest known sites connected with the brewing trade in Gloucester. It was owned by Peter Poitevin in the time of Henry III, who was probably the bishop who crowned the young King in 1216. The name dates from around 1672 after the water source located nearby. A plaque in the courtyard is said to commemorate a visit by William III who allegedly rode his horse up the stairs to show his contempt for Jacobite rebels meeting there.
Today it is known for its well kept beer, good quality food and friendly staff – hence why we have eaten there on two occasions.
The Rest of the Day
It would be terribly easy to rave about all that Gloucester has to offer but perhaps we can leave that for another time. Meanwhile we can say that we had a great time wandering the streets of the City. There are still many small streets that date back to medieval times. They genuinely give a sence of ancient times. The City also has an Industrial past through Gloucester Docks and the trade that went on there. Today the area has become a popular destination for visitors. There area narrow boats, small cruisers and the occasional tall ship. Together with Designer Outlets, a museum, bars and restaurants.
As you can see from the gallery below, we had a great time and we know that there is much more to explore on future visits.
