22 Facts About Gloucester

1.

Gloucester was founded by the Romans and became an important city and colony in AD 97 under Emperor Nerva as Colonia Glevum Nervensis.

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2.

Gloucester became a Colonia in 97 as Colonia Nervia Glevensium, or Glevum, in the reign of Nerva.

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3.

In 1051 Edward the Confessor held court at Gloucester and was threatened there by an army led by Godwin, Earl of Wessex, but the incident resulted in a standoff rather than a battle.

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4.

Gloucester was the site of the execution by burning of John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, in the time of Queen Mary in 1555.

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5.

The siege of Gloucester in 1643 was a battle of the English Civil War in which the besieged parliamentarians emerged victorious.

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6.

In 2009, Gloucester Day was revived as an annual day of celebration of Gloucester's history and culture.

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7.

Gloucester is one of the few cities in England with two coats of arms.

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8.

Gloucester was an ancient borough, being treated as a borough from Saxon times and being granted its first borough charter by Henry II in 1155.

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9.

On 1 April 1974, the modern district of Gloucester was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the same area as the abolished County Borough of Gloucester.

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10.

Quedgeley retains its own parish council, unlike the rest of Gloucester, which is an unparished area.

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11.

Gloucester is made up of a variety of neighbourhoods, some of which correspond to electoral divisions of the City Council.

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12.

Gloucester hosted the festival in 2019, and it is next due in the city in 2023.

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13.

Gloucester is noted as the home of the Frightmare Halloween Festival, the largest Halloween festival in the South West.

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14.

Since 2013 Gloucester has marked Armed Forces Day with a Drum Head Service held on College Green in the shadow of the cathedral.

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15.

Gloucester has many churches, and historically has had many dissenting chapels.

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16.

Gloucester was the host of the first Sunday school in England; this was founded by Robert Raikes in 1780.

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17.

Until the construction of the Severn Bridge in 1966, Gloucester was the lowest road bridging point on the river and hence was an important settlement between South Wales and the southernmost counties of England including London.

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18.

Gloucester was the site of the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company railway works, which have now closed.

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19.

Gloucester is linked to the Severn Estuary by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which is navigable by small coasters.

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20.

Gloucester Business Park is a business park on the outskirts on the city and is home to a number of big brands including Fortis and BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.

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21.

Gloucester FM is a community radio station specialising in black and urban music.

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22.

Gloucester was twinned with Gouda in the Netherlands, however this twinning ended in 2015.

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