Gloucester Cathedral
Perhaps the most iconic building in Gloucester, the Cathedral has an equally remarkable history.
Founded as the Abbey of St Peter (679AD) by Osric, King of the Hwicce, the Cathedral has played host to many pivotal moments in English history.
William I commissioned the Domesday Book here, Henry III was crowned here, and Edward II was laid to rest here.
The Cathedral's fine architecture is an amalgam of Norman and Gothic styles including one of the earliest instances of the perpendicular style.
The beautiful fan-vaulting in the cloisters is of particular note, attracting Hollywood moviemakers to use them as the atmospheric corridors of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.
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Fun Fact
John Stafford Smith (1750–1836), the son of the organist at Gloucester Cathedral, is best known for writing the music for 'The Anacreontic Song' in his teenage years, which became the tune for the American patriotic song The Star-Spangled Banner. It was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America in 1931. It was originally composed as a drinking song for the London gentlemen's club of amateur musicians, the Anacreontic Society.
In 2008, the Tardis and David Tennant arrived in the City as Gloucester Cathedral grounds were used as the filming location for Doctor Who's 2008 Christmas Special - The Next Doctor.
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