Visited April 2024

Location	Gloucester
Entrance Fee	No
Railway Station Nearby	Yes- Gloucester 1 mile
Parking	Town Car Parks
Facilities	None
Map

The remains of a once great priory thought to have been founded by the Queen of Mercia herself, Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great.

Review

It was originally founded as a cemetery but in 909 the relics of St Oswald were brought to Gloucester from Lincoln and buried at the site. Æthelflæd then had the Priory built to honour the relics, as Oswald had been an important figure in Christianity at the time, and the Priory grew rich with many donations from wealthy visiting pilgrims.

It is believed that Æthelflæd nd her husband Æthelred were buried at the Priory, but there is no conclusive evidence to support this. Evidence of a high ranking burial has been found, and it has been suggested that this may relate to the royal couple. Æthelflæd's nephew Æthelstan continued to support the Priory after her death, out of 'an act of paternal piety' (Æthelstan had been brought up by his aunt and her husband so considered them to be his parents), which adds weight to the theory.

At one point the Priory had a tower and this had a bell which the canons who lived there made in a bell-pit on the site.

Over the centuries the parish of St Oswald's grew, but at the time of the Norman Conquest it was in decline, and nearby St Peter's, which is today Gloucester Cathedral, overtook it in terms of importance. The decline was gradual though, and there were repairs carried out in the 12th and 13th century, which is the date of the arches that survive today.

It was really the Civil War that finally sealed the fate of the Priory. It was mostly destroyed by cannon fire during the Siege of Gloucester and was eventually demolished. The ruins today are scant, it won't take more than fifteen minutes or so to have a really good nose around, but there are some nice pieces still in existence, such as the piscina in the wall ( a basin which was used to wash the holy chalices) and some infilled windows and archways.

The ruins currently sit in a public park not far from Gloucester Cathedral, and have some information boards and seating area. The park is not huge but seemed very quiet when we visited.

As it is a small site we suggest you then take the children on to some of the other Gloucester attractions. Ours enjoyed the Gloucester Museum, a boat trip along the canal (departs from outside the Waterways Museum, which is in itself worth a visit)

For younger children there is the House of the Tailor of Gloucester, which has a museum dedicated to this Beatrix Potter tale. It is small but very interesting and contains lots other of Beatrix Potter characters. It is free to visit so worth a quick pop-in!

More info:  St Oswold's Priory