Gloucester: A Journey Through Time with Ghosts & Giggles
Join Ghosts & Giggles every Sunday at 1:00 PM for an immersive walking tour that peels back the layers of Gloucester’s 2,000-year history. This tour balances the city’s darker past with its most significant historical milestones, offering a comprehensive look at how a Roman outpost became the vibrant city it is today.
Roman Origins: Glevum
The journey begins at the very foundations of the city. Originally established as a Roman fort in AD 48 and later transformed into the Colonia Nervia Glevensium, or Glevum, Gloucester served as a vital settlement for retired legionaries. You will explore how the city’s modern street layout still mirrors the original Roman grid and discover the hidden remnants of the massive walls that once protected the empire’s frontier.
Lady Æthelflæd: The Queen of the Mercians
The tour highlights Gloucester’s pivotal role in the Golden Age of Mercia. You will learn about Lady Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great, who chose Gloucester as her primary seat of power. She founded St. Oswald’s Priory and was instrumental in defending the city against Viking incursions. Her leadership turned Gloucester into a religious and administrative heart of the kingdom, and her legacy remains a cornerstone of the city’s identity.
Medieval Splendour and Tudor Transitions
As you weave through the historic centre, the tour explores the medieval peak of the city, dominated by the construction of the magnificent Gloucester Cathedral. You’ll hear tales of the monks, the pilgrims, and the tragic fate of King Edward II. Moving into the Tudor era, the guide will bring to life a time of religious upheaval and architectural transformation, pointing out the timber-framed buildings that survived the passage of centuries.
The Civil War: The Siege of Gloucester
A key highlight of the tour is Gloucester’s defiant stand during the English Civil War. In 1643, the city held out against a month-long siege by King Charles I’s Royalist forces. You will learn how this Parliamentarian stronghold changed the course of the war—a victory so significant that the restored monarchy later ordered the city’s defensive walls to be dismantled in retaliation.