Greetings Cards
These are mounted on high-quality card, with the image on the front, and text on the back.
The Abbey
The Abbey was formed when two premises, The Kings Arms and The Tabard, were knocked through to create a large street corner pub. It was previously known as the Varsity and as Cleopatra’s. The King’s Arms was the older of the two original establishments, dating back to at least 1786, when George III was on the throne. The name ‘Abbey’ is probably a historical link to Gloucester Cathedral, which, until 1541, was known as the Abbey of Saint Peter.
The New Inn
The New Inn is a timber-framed structure, built in the 15th century. It was one of only three places in the country where Lady Jane Grey’s succession to the throne was publicly proclaimed. It is speculated that Shakespeare may have performed there in the sixteenth century. By the eighteenth Century the New Inn was an important venue on the Gloucester to London stagecoach route. It is now known as a real ale bar, a restaurant and a hotel.
Robert Raikes House
Robert Raikes’ House is a timber-framed merchant house dating from 1560. The pub is named after the founder of the Sunday School movement. He took over ownership of the Gloucester Journal, which was started by his father, and in 1758 he moved it into this building. In 1772 he moved into the building with his family. It reverted to a merchant’s house and shop, becoming the Dirty Duck Restaurant in 1973, then later the Golden Cross pub. It was bought by Samuel Smiths who restored it at a reported cost of £4.5m, and opened as Robert Raikes’ House in November 2008. The restoration is exceptional, inside and out.
Café René
Café Rene is accessed from St Mary’s Lane, alongside St Mary de Crypt churchyard. It is in a medieval building and originally most of the pub was an open courtyard. In the 18th century it belonged to another pub, the Golden Heart. There is an authentic Roman Well in the bar. This may have been used by the Fransiscan Friars who founded the nearby Greyfriars monastery in 1231. The building became a wine bar called The Inner Court in the 1970s. The courtyard was covered over and it re-opened as Greyfriars in 1987, becoming Café Rene in 1998. It is now known for the wine bottles lining its inner walls, real ales, cider and live music.
Barnwood Reading Room
Barnwood Reading Room has been in existence for over 100 years. On one of the walls is a plaque to the memory of George Francis Riddiford. In 1870 he married Winifred Helen Balfour at St Nicholas Church, Gloucester. George became Attorney Deputy Registrar for Gloucester County Council. By 1881 they had moved to Barnwood and in 1889 George died at Barnwood Lodge. Today, the Reading Room Is managed by a local team of volunteer trustees and offers a place for ad-hoc hire and regular local group activities. It offers rooms for hire for parties, small dance groups, craft groups, meetings and so on.
Image and information courtesy of Barnwood Reading Room.
Old Gloucester
The image is from the Gloucester Journal. 13 April 1724, page 631. It shows church towers from left to right: St. Mary de Lode, Cathedral, St. John’s, St. Nicholas, St. Michael, St. Mary de Grace and St. Mary de Crypt, The Gloucester Journal was founded in 1722 by Robert Raikes (the elder) and William Dicey. In 1725 Raikes and Dicey dissolved their partnership and Raikes continued as sole proprietor of the Gloucester Journal. Robert Raikes junior took over the running of the Journal when his father died. He was actively involved in prison reform and became widely known for his establishment of Sunday schools. These were the only source of education for Gloucester’s poor, as there were no state schools then. Raikes junior sold the Journal to David Walker from Hereford in 1802. It went through various phases and in 1992 was incorporated into the Gloucester Citizen.
Image and information courtesy of Gloucestershire Archives.
Old Parliament House
Historically Gloucester’s Old Parliament House was just one room, called the Parliament Room, and it can be seen today at Church House, College Green, The House was once the Deanery for Gloucester Cathedral. The term ‘Parliament’ was applied in 1378 when one room was used by Richard II to hold a parliament. The original building is thought to date back to the 11th century. The ‘Parliament House’ building was erected in the late 17th century. Today, the ground floor has beams that are supported by a central row of chamfered timber posts. On the first floor the Parliament Room has walls of exposed timber-framing and open timber roof.
Image and information courtesy of Gloucestershire Archives.
Prinknash Abbey
Prinknash Abbey has historically been associated with Benedictine monks. In 1096 the Giffard family made a gift of the land to the Abbot of Saint Peter’s, Gloucester. A large part of the present building was built around 1520. Prinknash Park continued to be used as a home for the gentry and nobility of Gloucestershire during the next few centuries and each generation left its mark on the property. In the early 1940s, one of the monks, Brother Gilbert OSB set up the Prinknash Pottery, having discovered a supply of clay nearby. The monks moved into the new abbey in 1972 and the old abbey was re-roofed, re-furnished, and converted into a retreat and conference centre, known as “St. Peter’s Grange”. By 2008 the now smaller community of monks had decided to move back to St. Peter’s Grange, and this took place on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (30 June).
Gloucester Old Spots
Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS) can be dated to the early 20th century. The first pedigree records for pigs began in 1885, much later than for cattle or sheep, because pigs were usually reared by peasants and were considered to be scavengers. As such, it costs little to raise them, and thus they were suited to the poor. Today's GOS is the oldest such breed in the world and they are farmed worldwide. These pigs are known for their docility and intelligence, and they are relatively easy to breed. Boars reach a mature weight of 600 lb (272 kg) and sows 500 lb (227 kg). The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal keep GOS pigs on their respective Gloucestershire estates. These days, instead of being regarded as scavengers, they are considered to be excellent foragers, supplementing their feed with roots and vegetation. In general, this breed is hardy, but the pigs can be prone to sunburn.
Gloucester Old Spot
Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS) can be dated to the early 20th century. The first pedigree records for pigs began in 1885, much later than for cattle or sheep, because pigs were usually reared by peasants and were considered to be scavengers. As such, it costs little to raise them, and thus they were suited to the poor. Today's GOS is the oldest such breed in the world and they are farmed worldwide. These pigs are known for their docility and intelligence, and they are relatively easy to breed. Boars reach a mature weight of 600 lb (272 kg) and sows 500 lb (227 kg). The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal keep GOS pigs on their respective Gloucestershire estates. These days, instead of being regarded as scavengers, they are considered to be excellent foragers, supplementing their feed with roots and vegetation. In general, this breed is hardy, but the pigs can be prone to sunburn.
Sula Lightship
Sula was commissioned by the Humber Conservancy Board in June 1959 and was stationed at Spurn Sandbank at the mouth of the River Humber until 1985. In 1988 the ship became a temporary home for the Guernsey Yacht Club in the Channel Islands. In 1990, she moved to Conwy, North Wales and later to Milford Haven in South Wales, where the ship served as a historic museum.
In 1997, the ship was sold to Irish tourism investors but was eventually laid up in Waterford, from 2001 to 2007. The ship was rescued in 2007 by Jan and Agnes van der Elsen. She was towed to Sharpness for three years of renovation before mooring at Gloucester Docks as a Therapy Centre in 2010.
In 2020 SULA was purchased by the Brooks Family. Her new legacy began on 1 October with the launch of The Humber Suite, a private luxury guest suite at the bow of the vessel. In 2021, She is now the UK’s only stay-aboard historic lightship.
