It was such a delight on Monday to meet up with our friends for a few days in Gloucester. We had't seen each other in person for a couple of years, Gloucester Docks was equal distance was a great location to spend time catching up.
And what better place to start our catch up than Gloucester Brewery. Located dockside in Warehouse 4 it's a great place to enjoy a variety of beers, they make gin too although I didn't try one. A good reason to pop by again!
I have seen ergonomic wine machines before but not beer on tap. Their self-service bar is a great way to try all their beers which are brewed on site. After loading up a charge card you can pour any beer in either 1/3, 1/2 or pint servings. The cost is deducted from your card, it was a great way to try beers ranging through lager, citrus and pale ales.
My favourite was their Perfect 10 IPA at 6% ABV. It isn't currently available in cans but we did buy a few of their other beers to try at home, something to look forward to in January.
Gloucester Docks is an interesting place, it is still being developed in parts but has many bars and restaurants as well as a large shopping outlet. For the festive season an ice rink has been set up, it was lovely sitting outside one of the many cafes enjoying coffee and rich Italian cakes whilst watching the skaters.
All the dock warehouses had names, history plaques explained how they got their names and what the warehouses were used for. Most of the warehouses were corn or flour, the docks were made to bring goods further up the River Severn to supply the Midlands and also as a rival dock to Bristol. It must have been a very busy place, the warehouses are huge buildings, lovely to see them being converted and brought back to life.
We did take a stroll into Gloucester city centre. There was an amazing chiming clock above one of the shops, a clockmakers! Thinking it only chimed the hour we walked on and just after turning a corner we heard it chime - it was a quarter clock!
Have you heard of Yarn Bombing? Over the last two years knitters have been making toppings for post boxes, it started as a great idea for walkers to spot during the restrictions. It added to everyone's allowed half hour stroll, we have one near us that has had many toppers.
This one in Gloucester was amazing, full of everything to do with Christmas. It was knitted by
Miju Wools, a local wool shop: so pretty and such fun!
Standing tall in the winter sun was
Gloucester Cathedral. It's architecture outside was stunning, especially the doorway statues. First as a religious house on 678-9AD people worshipped here for over 400 years but in Norma times the monastery was dwindling and a new Abbot from France was appointed in 1072.
Abbot Serlo built up the wealth of the monastery and started building a magnificent church. In the Middle Ages Gloucestershire enjoyed many royal connections and in 1216 Henry III was crowned here.
The building was added to and in 1327 King Edward II was buried in the church, a shrine was built in dedication to the late king. Under the reign of Henry VIII Gloucester Abbey surrendered in 1540 and under the Dissolution became Gloucester Cathedral a year later.
It was no longer a Monastery and was the seat of the Bishop of Gloucester. Religion had its many struggles at this time with Bishop Hooper was burned at the stake here in 1555 by order of the Catholic Queen Mary and in the time of Oliver Cromwell the Cathedral was under threat of demolition.
As England settled in 1660 after the Civil War the Catherdral returned to the management of the Dean, and has been this way since. There has been much rebuilding and restoring in the following centuries resulting in the magnificent building we see today.
It was fascinating inside, the stained glass windows were amazing. An apt statue of Jenner stood near the entrance, where would we be without his vaccinations.
I found it quite moving to see a family tomb with the children also shown, including those who died young. King Edward II's shrine was impressive but it was a little disturbing to see it covered in graffiti, albeit from times past.
Looking down on the alter certainly gave a different view and whilst on the upper floor we discovered the Whispering Gallery. What a disorientating remarkable piece of architecture, it's impossible to describe, it's a must visit to discover for yourself.
The cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral are in a complete square with a beautiful garden in the centre. They are enclosed and you may recognize the inside ... they were used in the Harry Potter films as part of Hogwarts.
Gloucester city centre had quite a few little alleyways and narrow streets. Down one such street we found Beatrix Potter's
House of the Tailor of Gloucester. The tiny shop is where Beatrix Potter lived for a while and her beautiful story of a tailor, his cat Simpkin, the mice and a very important garment to make. The famous phrase from this delightful book is 'no more twist'.
The shop is, as expected, full of Beatrix's books and gifts but the room at the rear is still as it was. It matches to the illustrations in her book with the embellishments of knitted mice, Simpkin is now a soft toy. You can see from my photos how accurate it is. The gentleman in the room looked so like the tailor too, he retold the story with relish and it was obviously close to his heart.
We had a lovely few days; good food, good beer and a good catch up. Off now to read a favourite from my childhood and picture the story in the delightful room in College Court, Gloucester.
