| At
St Mary-de-Lode church, take a right along Archdeacon Street. Cross the
road and head through a gate into the remains of St Oswold's Priory. These
ruins are all that's left of the priory built in 900AD by Ethelred, Earl
of Mercia. The arches of the north isle are still visible today - they were
built between 1150 to 1175. The Priory was demolished in 1650 after suffering
extensive damage during the Siege of Gloucester. Walk through the ruins
and head out on to the street on the far side.
Cross the road at the VW garage and follow the pavement
around to your left. Head under the railway bridge and use the walkway
on your right to cross to the other side. Once on the other side, head
right. Follow the footpath along the dual carriageway until you reach
the Westgate Leisure Area. Follow the footpath around and underneath the
right hand Over Causeway (road). Take the footbridge in between the two
roads and then turn left, walking beneath the left-hand Over Causeway
(road). Turn right and follow the A417. What follows will be a walk of
about a kilometre alongside the road.
The Over Causeway route is a raised road over the Alney
Island Nature Reserve and it gives you a good view over the countryside.
This whole area was a series of gravel islands that were split by the
River Severn. It was the lowest practicable crossing of the river which
made it of strategic value for the Romans, who wanted to use the area
as a staging post for their campaigns against the Silure tribe of South
Wales. There is no evidence of any battles being fought in Gloucestershire
because it's believed that the local tribe, the Dobunni, were allied to
the Romans.
 |
| Thomas Telford's Over Bridge |
Following the busy road around to the left you should
reach a road bridge over the River Severn. As you cross it you should
be able to see a 19th Century stone bridge to your left - this is the
famous Over Bridge build by Thomas Telford. Follow the road and take the
first path on the left after the road bridge, which should lead you up
on to Over Bridge.
Over Bridge was built by the engineer Thomas Telford.
It was begun in 1825 and was completed three years later. The River Severn
divides into two smaller branches near Gloucester which made bridging
easier. Over Bridge spans the West Channel. Until the Severn Bridge at
Aust was opened in 1966, this was the lowest point at which the Severn
could be crossed by bridge. Its single span was based on a 1768 design
by French architect Jean-Rudolphe Perronet for the bridge over the River
Seine at Neuilly, near Paris.
Cross Over Bridge to the other side and you're now on
Alney Island. About a mile above Gloucester the River Severn divides into
two smaller channels and these unite below the city, forming the parcel
of land called Alney Island.
...Now you're on Alney Island, you'll see the River
Severn to your side and you're ready to embark on the next stage of the
walk.
|
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