Gloucester monument preserved and protected

Work has begun at St Oswald’s Priory, to conserve and enhance the nationally important monument, thought to be the resting place of Queen Athelflaed.

The work is taking place thanks to a grant from Historic England and the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) administered by Gloucester City Council.

The project has received £20,000 from Historic England and £16,000 from the Shared Prosperity Fund which will see improvements to the landscaping around the historic landmark, along with new architectural lighting.

CCTV will also be installed to help protect the monument which has previously been targeted by vandalism and graffiti.

Also planned are small scale repairs to the stonework, improvements to the gravelled area and the installation of interpretation panels telling people more about its history.

St Oswald’s Priory was built by Aethelflaed, eldest daughter of Alfred the Great and known as the Lady of the Mercians, as a Minster church.

It became the resting place for the relics of St Oswald, a much celebrated Christian martyr and Queen Athelflaed who died in 918 is thought to be buried there.

From 1152 it became the site of an Augustinian Priory which was dissolved in the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, after which it fell into ruin.

Councillor Rebecca Trimnell, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement at Gloucester City Council, said: “St Oswald’s is one of the most historically important monuments in our city and it’s vital that we do all we can to protect and preserve it for present and future generations. I’m delighted to see this project get underway and look forward to seeing the results.”

St Oswald’s Priory is currently on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, but it is hoped that the works will see it removed from the list later this year.

Ross Simmonds, South West Regional Director at Historic England, said: “St Oswald’s is a fascinating monument and a vital part of the story of Gloucester. We’re pleased to support the council to help keep it safe and in good repair, so that it can continue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors to the city for years to come.”

St Oswald’s was one of nine projects that were successful in the second phase of SPF grants totalling £160,000, given to local schemes.

In total the city received £1.48m from government after the council submitted an investment plan, following extensive local consultation.

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk