Romans

Gloucester owes its name, location and much of its physical layout to nearly five hundred years of Roman occupation.

The first settlement was a military fortress at Kingsholm, guarding the lowest crossing point of the River Severn and the route to Wales. This garrison was abandoned in AD65 and replaced by a Roman town where the city of Gloucester stands today.

Glevum's Glory

The city's Roman name was Glevum. Glevum was a Colonia, a very special high-status city, one of only four to be established in Roma England. A base for retired, elite soldiers modelled on Rome itself, Glevum became an important Roman town and a powerful centre of Romano-British culture. Its inhabitants had the full rights of Roman citizenship, and their city was a showcase for Roman ideals, values and beliefs.

Its military origins were reflected in its huge walls, gates and street layout, but Glevum was also a great cultural city, boasting impressive civic buildings, imposing statues, a basilica, forum and baths. Its private homes had piped water, central heating and luxurious decoration.

The existing street patterns of today's city centre often follow those of Roman Glevum, especially along Southgate, Northgate and at the Cross. When the Romans retreated from Britain the Colonia and its great buildings were destroyed and the only visible remains of Roman Glevum to be seen today are a stretch of the city wall located under the City Museum, some recycled Roman masonry at St Oswald's Priory and a fragment of mosaic floor under St Mary de Lode.