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The Roman Legacy
Gloucester owes its name, location and much of its physical layout to nearly five hundred years of Roman occupation.The first settlement, Roman Glevum, was a large Roman 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 became an important Roman town and one of only four Colonia to be established in Roman England. It was a powerful centre of Romano-British culture, containing all of the civic and public services that were the hallmarks of roman life, including a basilica, forum and baths.
The existing street patterns of the 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 is a stretch of the city wall located under the City Museum.
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