Film premiere showcases Gloucester's greatest

A new film celebrating Gloucester’s world renowned historic buildings will be shown for the first time at the city’s History Festival on Sunday 15th September 2024. A well loved Tudor Merchant’s House, the elaborate 17th century façade of the Old Bell Inn near The Cross and the impressive arch-fronted Victorian Lloyds Bank building in Eastgate Street all feature in A Spotter’s Guide to the Architecture of Gloucester.

The short film has been produced by Historic England and is presented by Oxford University historian and BBC broadcaster, Professor Janina Ramirez. ‘Places like Gloucester are unique time capsules which capture within their walls the stories of generations who’ve lived, loved and worked there,’ says Prof. Ramirez. ‘I’m overjoyed to be able to share some of these hidden gems with audiences at the Gloucester History Festival – nowhere could be more fitting.’ South West Regional Director for Historic England, Ross Simmonds, says the film’s release comes at the perfect time; ‘The High Street Heritage Action Zone has supported the restoration of The Folk of Gloucester and many other buildings on Westgate and has been a great success. What better way to mark the end of the project than with a visual celebration of the city’s fascinating heritage buildings?’ Sunday’s premiere will be followed by a live debate on which local landmark should be deemed Gloucester’s greatest building. Janina Ramirez will be joined on stage by local historian, Phil Moss and the City Archaeologist, Andrew Armstrong. The film screening and the Great Gloucester Buildings debate take place on Sunday 15th September 2024 at 10.30am in Blackfriars. Tickets are £12 (in person) and £6 (livestreamed). In addition three popular personalities have chosen the Gloucester History Festival to premiere their latest books and speak in public for the first time about their findings. Horrible Histories guru and star of the BBC’s You’re Dead to Me, Greg Jenner, takes a tour of Roman Britain; Prize-winning BBC Two historian Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the controversial story of sex and Christianity; and the Cambridge medievalist, broadcaster and author of the best-selling She-Wolves, Helen Castor, reveals the tragedy of the royal rivals, Richard II and Henry IV.

Find out more about this year's talks here: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/