Gloucester is a city in Gloucestershire, England. It’
situated close to the Welsh border, and overlooks the River Severn. It’s also near to Cotswolds and the Forest of
Dean. Gloucester is the 53rd largest settlement in Britain, and is
twinned with the following cities: Metz (France), Trier (Germany), Saint Ann
(Jamaica) and Gouda (Netherlands). The city is divided up into 18 wards, and
has two coats of arms.
It has a population of more than 128,000, and the main
language spoken is English. The city is made up of several neighbourhoods
including Abbeydale, Barnwood, Coney Hill, Elmbridge, Hucclecote and
Longlevens.
Gloucester started life as a Roman municipality, before
being taken over by the Celts. It was later seized by the Saxons, and, in 1155,
was granted its first charter by King Henry 11. During the Middle Ages, a
number of important monastic establishments were built in Gloucester including
St. Peter’s Abbey, St Oswald’s Prior, Llanthony Secunda Priory, and the
Franciscan Greyfriars community.
Today, Gloucester is a major transport hub, home to
beautiful churches, cathedrals and parks. Top attractions include Gloucester
Cathedral, the Jet Age Museum and Robinswood Hill Country Park. For shopping,
head to Gloucester Quays, and, for history, visit the Jet Age Museum.
Kingsholm Stadium hosts a number of sports games throughout
the year and is especially popular for its rugby. If walking is your thing, you
can enjoy a lovely jaunt along Gloucester Docks or the Gloucester and Sharpness
canal. Other sites worth visiting are the Gloucester Life Museum, and Three
Choirs Vineyard.
Gloucester is covered by the M5 motorway which connects to
the east of the city. It is also served by the A38 road which runs north to
south through the city. Gloucester railway station is the town’s main train
station and offers frequent trains to Reading, Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, Birmingham
and London. The closest airport to Gloucester is Birmingham Airport at roughly
42 miles away.
SilverDoor offers a number of serviced apartments in
Gloucester that are perfect for business travel.
