IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Commercial Road, GLOUCESTER, GL1 2EA

The original school room of the Crypt School, founded in 1539, attached to St Mary de Crypt church from which the school derived its name (see also Image ). Since 1944 the school has been sited at Podsmead nearer the outskirts of the city see Image

This plaque is mounted on the wall of the old schoolroom Image under the archway over St Mary's Lane (also known as Marylebone).

An unusual item of stone-masonry in this historic churchyard.

The church seen looking north along Southgate Street, with the Old Crypt Schoolroom beyond. The church was first recorded c1140 when it was known as the Church of the Blessed Mary within the Southgate. The present structure is the result of a major rebuilding that took place in the late 14th century. It incorporated some of the earlier 12th and 13th century work. Further alterations took place in the 15th and 16th centuries. Below the western end of the nave lies the crypt alluded to in the name of the church. Gloucester's famous 18th century preacher, George Whitefield delivered his first sermon after ordination in 1734 from the 17th century pulpit in the nave. See also http://www.citybenefice.com/smdc_history.html

West Country Breweries were formed in 1958 when the Stroud Brewery merged with the Cheltenham Brewery. Both by coincidence started operating in 1760. Plaques similar to this were attached to their estate of pubs from 1958 until about 1967 as, although Whitbread took over West Country in 1963, the logo remained in use for a few years. The foregoing information came from this website http://www.easywell.co.uk/pubs/july2006plaques.htm which also has a list of pubs that either have or had these plaques attached.

The plaque can be found in a narrow alley leading under the former 16th century school http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2000135 from Southgate Street.

This fine example is visible in this image of the building to which it is attached http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2000135 Heraldry is a closed book to me so the precise meaning of all the symbols passes me by. There is an interesting contrast between a splendid but rather ordinary dog and an exotic fictitious dragon. I am particularly taken with the Nora Batty look http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1094650/Clegg-Co-mourn-Nora-Batty-actress-Kathy-Staff.html

Pub at 38 Southgate Street. It was previously the Golden Cross. After major restoration work by Samuel Smith's Brewery, it reopened as Robert Raikes's House in 2008. Robert Raikes (1736-1811) http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2293245 is best known for starting the worldwide Sunday School movement. Built as a merchant's house in the 16th century, substantially altered and extended in later centuries, the building was Grade II* listed in January 1952.

The sign hangs from a frame in the wall of this Grade II* listed building. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2896831

A faded sign on the Bay Swan Hotel at the end of Southgate Street, opposite another of the same ilk. See Image