Gloucester Cathedral - 900 Years - College Street, Gloucester, UK
N 51° 52.012 W 002° 14.856
30U E 551805 N 5746498
This plaque, at the north east corner of College Street, advises that a gatehouse once stood here as an entrance to the cathedral precincts and the new gates were erected for the 900th anniversary of the cathedral.
Waymark Code: WMKCEN
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/19/2014
Views: 6
The Gloucester Cathedral website tells us:
Built by Abbot Serlo, the foundation stone was laid in 1089. The eastern arm was ready for dedication in 1100, and the nave was probably completed by about 1130. A very great deal of this Romanesque church survives including the entire crypt, much of the east end above it, the great nave piers and most of the north aisle. The Norman chapter house also mostly survives.
The Early English style is represented by the nave vault of 1242 and the screen at the north end of the north transept. Window tracery in the south aisle is typical of the Decorated style as are the thousands of carved ball-flowers and the elaborate stonework of the tomb of Edward II.
The blue, metal plaque, attached to a wall just within the gates, tells us:
A mediaeval gatehouse once marked the entrance
to the precinct of the abbey and cathedral. These
gates, planned as part of the commemoration of
the 900th anniversary of the cathedral building,
were erected in 1992 through the generosity of
The Gloucester City Council
and of
Nuclear Electric plc
The Visit Gloucestershire website tells us about College Street:
College Street is a short street that gives access to Gloucester cathedral from Westgate St.Although it is less than 100 meters long it contains many attractive features, and has a long and interesting history. We shall begin with a brief look at that history and then move on to discover how college St looks today.
Moving along the street towards the Cathedral, the next building you come to is King Edwards Gate. This is the oldest structure in College Street. A plaque on the wall states that it was at this gate that the Abbot of St. Peters ( one John Thoky ) received the body of King Edward 2nd for burial following the Kings murder at Berkley Castle in 1327. The gate originally consisted of 2 gate houses with a room above. This room was leased as a dwelling until it was removed in 1805 or 1806 leaving only the piers standing. The pier on the eastern side was removed in the 1890s when it’s site, and the house adjoining were taken for the widening of College Street. The remaining portion of the western gatehouse that we can see today dates from a rebuilding by Abbot Malvern in the early 16th Century.
While standing by the old gatehouse, one cannot help noticing the beautiful new gates that grace the southern entrance to the Cathedral. A wall plaque on the eastern side of the street informs us that these gates were planned as part of the 900th anniversary of the Cathedral building and were erected in 1992. The ironwork was obviously cast earlier as the date above the pedestrian gates reads 1989. Moulded into the top of each pillar are shields bearing the crossed keys device. These represent St. Peter for St. Peters Abbey, which was the Cathedrals identity until 1541.