Gloucester, Tuesday 28th July
I wanted to look at the Gloucester transport museum, which according to the leaflet from the tourist information office, was housed in the old fire station on Longsmith Street. We found the building, now occupied by Family Law Consultants.
Obvious when you think about it – the museum has been transported but where?
I settled for a building spotting excursion. As we had seen yesterday, there are a lot of interesting buildings in Gloucester. One of the more unusual ones housed the music and drama library. It was a well proportioned Georgian example, strangely tacked on to one end of the ruins of Greyfriars Priory. The other end is dominated by the Gloucester college of arts; at least it is not built on.
Robert Raikes House, former home to the founder of the Sunday school movement,
is a recently renovated, almost rebuilt, wooden framed building. It has taken two years and £4.5 million to complete; it is now a Samuel Smith’s pub. I suppose that is a better, if slightly ironic, solution than demolition.
We saw part of the Roman wall of Glevum; it was visible from the upstairs display room of a furniture shop, but none of it was for sale.
We have been on the basin pontoon for 48hrs, so we have moved to a spot just south of Sainsbury’s where it is a lot quieter. We may move tomorrow, if the promised heavy rain materialises we will stay put!
2009 Totals: 420 Locks – 734.5 miles – 20 Bus pass uses.
