Gloucester | ||
---|---|---|
City and Non-metropolitan district | ||
Gloucester and its cathedral
|
||
|
||
City of Gloucester shown within Gloucestershire |
||
Coordinates: 51°52′N 2°14′W / 51.87°N 2.24°WCoordinates: 51°52′N 2°14′W / 51.87°N 2.24°W | ||
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Constituent country | England | |
Region | South West England | |
Non-metropolitan county | Gloucestershire | |
Status | Non-metropolitan district, City | |
Admin HQ | Gloucester | |
Government | ||
• Type | Non-metropolitan district council | |
• Body | Gloucester City Council | |
• Leadership | Mayor & Cabinet (Conservative) | |
• MPs | Richard Graham | |
Area rank | 289th (of 326) | |
Population (mid-2015 est.) | ||
• Total | 127,200 | |
• Rank | 169th (of 326) | |
• Ethnicity | 84.6% White British 4.6% White Other 3.5% South Asian 2.8% Black or Black British 1.3% Chinese or Other Asian 3.1% Mixed Race 0.3% Other |
|
Time zone | GMT (UTC0) | |
• Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | |
Postcodes | GL1-GL4 | |
Area code(s) | 01452 | |
ONS code | 23UE (ONS) E07000081 (GSS) |
|
OS grid reference | SO832186 | |
Website | www |
Gloucester City Council | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Structure | |
Seats | 39 councillors |
22 / 39
|
|
10 / 39
|
|
7 / 39
|
|
Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election
|
5 May 2016 |
Website | |
www |
Gloucester (i/ˈɡlɒstər/) is a city and district in southwest England, the county city of Gloucestershire. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the southwest.
Gloucester was founded in AD 97 by the Romans under Emperor Nerva as Colonia Glevum Nervensis, and was granted its first charter in 1155 by King Henry II. Economically, the city is dominated by the service industries, and has a strong financial and business sector, and historically was prominent in the aerospace industry.
The origins of the name Gloucester can be traced to Caerloyw in the modern Welsh. There are various appellations in history such as Caer Glow, Gleawecastre, Gleucestre as an early British settlement is not confirmed by direct evidence. However, Gloucester was the Roman municipality of Colonia Nervia Glevensium, or Glevum, built in the reign of Nerva. Parts of the walls can be traced, and a number of remains and coins have been found, though inscriptions are scarce. In Historia Brittonum, a fabled account of the early rulers of Britain, Vortigern's grandfather, Gloiu (or Gloyw Wallt Hir: "Gloiu Long-hair"), is given as the founder of Gloucester. Part of the foundations of Roman Gloucester can be seen today in Eastgate Street (near Boots), while Roman tombstones and a range of other Roman artefacts can be seen in Gloucester City Museum.