Gloucester Overview
Gloucester is a city located just above the Cotswolds in the west of England, the city is famed for its 1300-year-old Roman-Gothic style cathedral. The cathedral is situated towards the north of the city and has one particular aspect which a lot of people like to see when they visit, the West Window is a large piece of stained glass that fills the cathedral with beautiful colours when the sun shines through it. Gloucester was revolutionised during the industrial revolution due to the rich deposits of iron ore and coal as well as timber from the Forest of Dean. Once the canals were built this increased the industry and then when the docks and warehouses were built this increased it 10-fold. The warehouses in the quay are still used today but not for holding supplies, they have been turned into shops, restaurants and bars for locals and tourists to enjoy. The city has been redeveloping neglected areas in a bid to increase the general happiness of the locals as well as bring more tourists in and make a better quality of life.
Things to do in Gloucester
There are lots of museums and galleries dotted around the city, The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum displays the fascinating history of the Gloucestershire regiment who earned more medals than any other regiment in the whole of the country. In this museum you will learn all about their lives before the wars as well as witnessing the medals. Another museum that is great to visit is the Gloucester Life Museum, here you will learn all about what life has been like for people living in the city throughout the years, both of these museums are free to enter and are great places to learn about the city you will be living in. There are two main shopping centres in the city, King’s Walk and Eastgate both have plenty of well-known brands as well as lots of independent boutiques, both centres have food halls that offer a wide selection of food. A personal favourite for locals in terms of shopping is the Gloucester Quays which is an outlet full of designer brands as well as a multiplex cinema and several restaurants.
Sport in Gloucester
There are several leisure centres in and around the city with all of them offering a wide range of facilities from swimming pools, sports halls and gyms. Some of the centres offer discounts to students so make sure you keep an eye out in order to get the best deal. There are plenty of local parks in and around the city with some of them having free to use tennis courts and football pitches. Gloucester Rugby Club are a great team to go and watch at the Kingsholm Stadium, the stadium is known for having a fantastic atmosphere on matchday as there are over 16,000 capacity.
Escape Gloucester
Just to the south of the city is the Cotswolds which is famous for being a picturesque area full of hills and meadows with several small quaint villages, castles and grand residences which make it the perfect place to escape the stresses of university life. Roughly 15 minutes from the city is Cheltenham which has a plethora of festivals that run at different times of the year, one of the main ones is the Cheltenham Race Festival, this is a nationally renowned horse racing festival that thousands of people flock to bet and watch and have a lot of fun.
Transport in Gloucester
The M5 runs from Bristol to Birmingham and travels through Gloucester which makes it very easy to travel to these two cities as well as connecting the city to the national motorway network. You are able to get direct trains to London and Cardiff plus, trains to several cities across the UK. National coach services run from the city to most major cities across the country. There are great transport links inside the city which make travelling around very easy.
