Glevum

Glevum was a Roman colonia founded in AD 97 on the site of an earlier fort near the River Severn in modern Gloucester. The colonia started as a military base around AD 48 and grew into a walled city with a rectilinear street plan. Its walls were built between AD 81 and 98, and the city became an important administrative centre. The Emperor Nerva granted it colonia status, giving retired legionaries land and a role as an auxiliary force. At its peak, Glevum may have had up to 10,000 people and a mint producing coins. The city’s remains include parts of its walls, a forum, an administrative basilica and fine homes with mosaic floors. Excavations have uncovered a Roman wharf on Upper Quay Street, built in AD 74, and evidence of a mint producing counterfeit coins. Nearby villas like Chedworth and Woodchester show how the area was intensively farmed in the Roman style. The city’s street names—Northgate, Southgate, Eastgate and Westgate—still follow the lines of the original Roman roads. Visitors to Gloucester can see Roman walls at the East Gate Chamber on Eastgate Street and artefacts in the Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery. An equestrian statue of Emperor Nerva stands at the entrance to Southgate Street, marking the colonia’s 1,900th anniversary. The city’s layout still reflects its Roman origins, with streets and walls guiding the way through modern Gloucester.