Gloucester

Gloucester belongs to the county of Gloucestershire, and is located on the banks of River Severn. It is thought to be a Roman settlement as parts of the Roman wall and excavated artefacts and coins also substantiate this fact. Saxons invaded this city in battle of Dyrham in 577. Later in AD 900 the wife of Earl of Mercia got a free royal chapel built to keep the remains of St Oswald. It is thought that she played a significant role in making this city a burgh with a well developed street plan. It was during the same time that a palace was built at Kingsholm Gloucester, which was later used by several Saxon and Norman kings for councils and parliaments.

The city gained glory when Henry 1st granted a charter in 1155 that gave the privileges equal to those of London. During the Second World War, Gloucester became renowned for its aircraft and jet engine development by Mr. Frank Whittle. It is bordered by the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean and the Malvern Hills that give it a stunning façade!

The erstwhile docks and warehouses of the port city of Gloucester have been converted into pubs, shops and apartments. There are many tourist attractions in this city with the impressive Gloucester Cathedral forming its landmark. Famous for being the burial place of King Edward II of , Walter de Lacy, this cathedral also features in the Harry Potter films. Gloucester is famous for an impressive array of churches besides being the home of the first Sunday school in , founded by Robert Raikes in 1780. Many ancient wooden houses could be seen here. However, among the old public buildings, only the New Inn in Northgate Street is remaining. It is a marvellous wooden house with vast external galleries and courtyards that was built by Abbot Sebroke in 1450 for the pilgrims to Edward II's shrine.

King's Square that was once a cattle market and bus station is the hub of this city now and some of the modern buildings include the museum and school of art and science, the county gaol, the Shire Hall and the Whitefield memorial church. There is a medicinal spring in the park in the south, which draws scores of tourists from all over the city. The port of Gloucester, which traces its origin to the Roman era, built for the transport of men and material between the Midlands and Wales. It is the most inland port that was granted the grade of a port in 1580 by Queen Elizabeth and it still houses around fifteen Victorian warehouses which have been refurbished into crowd pulling clubs, bistros and cafes! Gloucester is famous for its impressive shopping avenues and there is an interesting ensemble of high end fashion malls and many small local traders, which deal in the unique art and craft pieces of Gloucester making it an ideal place to hunt for a great gift for someone special!