PRESS RELEASE
26 April
Gloucester Docks recognised with major transport heritage award
The historic Gloucester Docks will be honoured with a Red Wheel award from the
Transport Trust on Saturday, 27 April.
The Red Wheel scheme is similar to English Heritage’s blue plaque scheme, but
recognises Britain's greatest transport heritage sites. Saturday’s unveiling commemorates
the significance of Gloucester Docks as the country’s best preserved nineteenth century
inland port, and the role it played in trade and transport in the West of England and
beyond.
Opened in 1827, the docks were a vital port for the transfer of cargoes from sea going
ships using the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, enabling goods to be transported up the
River Severn and into the canal network serving the West Midlands. Early imports included
corn from Ireland and the continent, timber from North America and wines from Portugal
and France.
As trade demand grew throughout the nineteenth century, the docks were extended
beyond the Main Basin, creating the range of quays and warehouses that can be seen
today. Nineteen large warehouses around the docks and canal are listed buildings, while
the Mariners’ Chapel, which once served a congregation of seamen and boatmen, is still in
use as a church.
Regular steamer services carrying people to continental ports became an additional
feature in the twentieth century, however changes to the way goods were transported
brought a period of decline and a significant reduction in commercial traffic.
Following a period of inactivity, the docks experienced a renaissance in the late twentieth
century, with pleasure craft becoming common in the area. The docks are now a vibrant
retail, leisure and residential area, including a 50-berth marina that is popular with river
cruisers and narrow boats. The Gloucester Waterways Museum contains the Canal &
River Trust’s national collection of historic boats and canal artifacts, as well as offering
boat trips down the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Other leisure attractions on the
dockside include shops and restaurants, the Regiments of Gloucester Museum, and the
Antique Centre. In May, the docks will host Gloucester’s Tall Ships festival.
Canal & River Trust, Toll House, Delamere terrace, London W2 6ND
T 0207 985 7263 E press.office@canalrivertrust.org.uk W www.canalrivertrust.org.uk Twitter @CanalRiverTrust
Patron: H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. Canal & River Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales
with company number 7807276 and registered charity number 1146792, registered office address: First Floor North, Station House, 500
Elder Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1BB
Page 2 of 2
The Red Wheel will be unveiled at 11.30am, mounted on a wall adjacent to Llanthony
Warehouse facing the Gloucester Waterways Museum entrance.
Nick Worthington, waterways manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: “The award is a
fitting recognition of the importance of the docks to Gloucester throughout the generations.
They were an epicentre for trade in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and if you
visit them now, the buildings give the look and feel of stepping back in time. What’s
important is that the docks continue to benefit the city, nowadays through its businesses,
museums and events like the Tall Ships Festival.”
Stuart Wilkinson, Chairman of the Transport Trust, said: "The revitalisation of Gloucester
Docks in recent years has made it an exciting place to visit, of which the City and Canal &
River Trust can be justly proud. The Transport Trust is delighted to recognise this with the
award of a 'Red Wheel'."
Britain played key roles in the development of transport and the Industrial Revolution
throughout the world. Whilst much of the early infrastructure has disappeared, much still
remains and the role of the Transport Trust is to promote the conservation and restoration
of this legacy, across all modes of transport, for future generations to appreciate. Over 900
transport heritage sites are now explained on website www.transportheritage.com and
over 50 of the most important are now highlighted with prestigious 'Red Wheels'.
Ends
Notes to editors
For more media information please contact Joe Coggins on 020 3204 4410
joe.coggins@canalrivertrust.org.uk
For more information about the Transport Trust visit www.transporttrust.com and about the
Red Wheel scheme www.transportheritage.com
The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across
England and Wales. We are among the largest charities in the UK, maintaining the
nation’s third largest collection of Listed structures, as well as museums, archives,
navigations and hundreds of important wildlife sites.
We believe that our canals and rivers are a national treasure and a local haven for people
and wildlife. It is our job to care for this wonderful legacy – holding it in trust for the nation
in perpetuity and giving people a greater role in the running of their local waterways.
www.canalrivertrust.org.uk