Tanners' Hall

Tanners’ Hall stands on Gouda Way in Gloucester as the oldest surviving medieval domestic stone house in the city. Built in the 13th century, it was originally a merchant’s town house before tanners took it over in 1540. The building served as a tannery until the 18th century, when parts of the ground floor were divided into brick rooms. Excavations in 1983 uncovered tanning pits and traces of an upper floor that once held a hall. By the mid-19th century it had become two cottages, and later a paint shop and garage. The ruin now consists of three standing walls, the tallest reaching 3.7 metres. The hall’s stone construction made it unusual for its time, as most Gloucester houses were timber-framed and fire-prone. Archaeologists found evidence of Roman activity beneath the site, including a road leading to the Roman fort at Kingsholm. Excavations revealed five phases of occupation, from Romano-British layers to 19th-century domestic use. A medieval flagstone floor and 15th- or 16th-century wall foundations were uncovered nearby. The north wall remains the most intact, with over half still standing, while the south wall has vanished above ground. Visitors see the exposed stone walls and remnants of doors and windows framed by modern brickwork. The conserved ruin forms the entrance to a block of 24 affordable flats, with information boards explaining its history. The development removed later additions and stabilised the walls using conservation techniques. Original timber joists and lintels survive in places, and the site’s past uses are visible in the surviving openings. The standing walls now stand as a quiet reminder of Gloucester’s medieval trade and craftsmanship.