Gloucester residents are being asked to share their memories of Westgate Street and help conserve its unique history as part of the Cathedral Quarter Heritage Action Zone.
The Cathedral Quarter High Street Heritage Action Zone is a £3.8 million scheme run by Gloucester City Council and backed by Historic England to regenerate Westgate Street with heritage as the driving force.
The scheme will focus on the repair of some of the most important historic buildings on the street alongside community events and activities such as this reminiscence project.
Residents are being asked to share stories, old photographs or documents relating to buildings, businesses, people or events on Westgate Street.
The findings will appear in monthly blogs, films and on social media to build a historic archive. And a collection of digital images and video snippets will be donated to Gloucestershire Archives when the project ends.
One of the first to share their memories is Gloucester Town Crier Alan Myatt who has spoken of his experiences working as a builder on the street which involved uncovering a Roman column base.
The reminiscence project is being organised by the city council working with partners Gloucestershire Archives, Gloucester Cathedral Archive, Gloucester Civic Trust and the Folk and City Museum, all collaborating to collect and share memories.
Councillor Richard Cook, Leader of Gloucester City Council and Chair of the Cathedral Quarter Steering Group said: “I am delighted that we are working with partners and sharing their expertise to develop this exciting initiative. The stories, memories, knowledge, and experiences of local people are extremely important to us. They can help us to find out more about the buildings, people and events which have helped to form the area’s character in the past. Equally, they can help us to shape a strong future for this historically significant part of our city. I would encourage anyone who may have something interesting to share, or to tell us about the area, to get in touch.”
A new Cathedral Quarter website www.cathedralquartergloucester.uk which will has details on how to get involved and on the Cathedral Quarter project as a whole. Or email for more information.
