Gloucester Civic Trust
Gloucester Civic Trust is an independent charity run by volunteers to actively encourage the appreciation and conservation of the city's heritage. The Trust also engages with the planning process to ensure that regeneration programs respect and complement Gloucester's rich heritage. Established in 1972, the Trust has a strong track record and can list the restoration of Ladybellegate House in Bearland, the rescue of the Old Crown and Dick Whittington's pubs on lower Westgate Street, and significant input into the Docks regeneration in opposition to proposals for the demolition of historic warehouses there amongst its successes. The Trust operates an information centre in the grade II* 15th-century St. Michael's Tower on The Cross and is based in its latest project, the iconic, grade II* 15th and 17th-century timber-framed Folk of Gloucester on lower Westgate Street.
Heritage Open Days
Heritage Open Days is a national event celebrating the country's built heritage. Organised in Gloucester by Gloucester Civic Trust, it is an opportunity to explore historic buildings, some of which are not otherwise open to the public, such as the Folk of Gloucester, the Church of St. Nicholas and Bearland House.
Gloucester History Festival
The Gloucester History Festival is an annual two-week event celebrating local, national and international history, featuring talks from well-known speakers on a wide variety of history topics at Blackfriars. The two-week summer event in September incorporates Gloucester Day, when the city remembers the lifting of the siege of Gloucester on 5 September 1643 during the English Civil War, and Heritage Open Days, when many of the city's historic buildings are opened to the public. Recent additions to the festival include a Spring weekend and increasing digital content.
Voices Gloucester
Originally a local strand of the Gloucester History Festival, Voices Gloucester aims to inspire people to connect with the heritage, history and community of Gloucester. The community led programme offers funding, mentoring and support to individuals or organisations that want to tell their story about Gloucester's history. Voices support enabled the Gloucester 500 project to stage the Gloucester Work in Progress photography exhibition at the Folk of Gloucester during the 2021 Gloucester History Festival.
Cathedral Quarter Project
The Cathedral Quarter Project was set up to breathe new life into historic Westgate Street. Funded with a £1.9m grant from the Historic England High Street Heritage Action Zone matched with an additional, locally funded £1.9 million, it ran from March 2020 to March 2024. The project helped restore historic buildings and bring empty spaces back into use along Westgate Street (upper and lower) and made open spaces along the street more attractive to encourage their use for community activities and events. Notable achievements include the rescue of the 16th-century No. 41 Westgate Street, which is currently looking in a much better state than it was when it was photographed for the Gloucester 500 project.
Historic England
Historic England, officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, is the Government department established to secure the preservation of ancient monuments and historic buildings, promote the preservation and enhancement of the character and appearance of conservation areas and further promote the public's enjoyment of, and advance their knowledge of, ancient monuments and historic buildings. The statutory listings maintained by Historic England are the primary source of information used in the Gloucester 500 project about specific buildings.
British History Online – Victoria County History
British History Online is a collection of nearly 1300 volumes of primary and secondary content relating to British and Irish history, and histories of empire and the British world. The Victoria County History (VCH) was founded in 1899 as a national project to write the history of every county in England. At its inception, the project was dedicated to Queen Victoria, which is how it derives its name. The VCH volume on Gloucester is the primary source of information used in the Gloucester 500 project for the history of Gloucester.
Gloucestershire Archaeology
Amateur archaeological society, established 1967 as the Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group (GADARG), with an interest in the archaeology and history of Gloucestershire and the mission to widen public knowledge of the fabulous archaeology and history of the county. The society's Glevensis annual journal is, alongside BGAS's Transactions (below), a treasure trove of detailed historical research.
Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society
Learned society established 1876 to share knowledge and discoveries about all aspects of the past in Bristol and Gloucestershire. The society's Transactions annual journal is, alongside GlosArch's Glevensis (above), a treasure trove of detailed historical research spanning 138 volumes and counting.