Archaeological dig has started at the Fleece Hotel

The Fleece Hotel in Gloucester is undergoing its first ever archaeological dig. With help from funding from GFirst LEP, Gloucester City Council is taking steps to discover the history of the hotel and what is lying undiscovered beneath its grounds.

For the first time in its history, The Fleece Hotel is having an archaeological trenching within its grounds. This type of investigation has never been done before and will provide another first in the site’s history.

So far, two trenches have been dug by Cotswold Archaeology on behalf of the city council. One trench is in the former garage area just off Longsmith Street and the other is in the main yard which was formerly the car park of the Fleece Hotel, adjacent to Bull Lane.

Andrew Armstrong, Gloucester City Council archaeologist, said: “As the Fleece Hotel dates back to the mid-13th Century it’s likely that we’ll discover some medieval remains. It is also really close to where we have previously found some Roman artefacts. Who knows what we’ll find.”

Cllr Paul James, leader of the city council and cabinet member for regeneration, said: “Carrying out these archaeological works will help to remove risks for any future development of the site and will enable us to continue to build the picture of our city’s history. Some of the things we find when undertaking such works can be truly fascinating and I’m looking forward to seeing what hidden treasures lie underneath this important site.”

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