Mention Gloucester Cathedral to anyone and they often think of it as the final resting place of Edward II who was murdered in Berkeley Castle, but there are other reasons to come here, and in this post I’d like to show you what they are.

There has been a House of God on or near this spot since the 7^th century when King Osric founded an abbey dedicated to St Peter, but after a major fire in 1088, the present abbey was established by Abbot Serlo. The Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII (1536-41) saw Gloucester Abbey become a Cathedral, but instead of rambling on about the rest of its history, I’m going to take you on a tour of the Cathedral with a brief explanation of what there is to see along the way.

Looking at the Cathedral from the outside, the Gothic appearance belies its Norman Nave, and that’s because a fire in 1222 damaged the roof, prompting a rebuilding programme that included the Central Tower. The picture gallery below shows the cathedral from the south and includes captions explaining the time-line of the building’s construction.

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Originally posted 2023-05-29 16:02:20.