The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

In April next year, The Rifles will receive The Freedom of the City of Gloucester followed by a service to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Imjin.  We are very proud. 

The back of the Custom House
 & entrance to the museum

The other day I visited the docks and went to have a look around The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum which is set up in a historic building that used to be The Custom House, built in 1845.

The front of the Custom House

The museum displays the history of two famous regiments:

1. The Glorious Glosters - An infantry regiment of the regular army – they started as the 28th and 61st Regiments of Foot and were amalgamated.

2. The Gloucestershire Hussars - A territorial yeomanry cavalry army.
Between them these regiments have bought much honour to Gloucestershire, including North Avon and Bristol which were all part of our county at one time.

The regiment of Infantry was formed at the end of King William and Queen Mary’s reign at the end of the 1600’s, that’s over 300 years ago

The displays show where in the world the regiments have served, how the regiments have faced the challenges and coped with the strains that war brings with it. And it shows their traditions and their achievements.

Its amazing to think that for two hundred years the army wore redcoats. So already you get an idea of how the army has changed over time. Khaki uniforms were introduced at the end of the 19th century.

These regiments have been at decisive moments in history:

In 1705 the Regiments joined the Duke of Marlborough’s forces and were involved in the Wars of the Spanish Succession. These wars led to the building of Blenheim Palace – a gift to John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough by a grateful nation for winning a series of battles which shattered the French domination of Europe.

They were fighting in Quebec under General Wolfe.

They were involved in the American Wars of Independence.

It was during the French Revolution that The Glosters earned the right to wear the sphinx badge, a battle honour, having taken part in the Egyptian campaign, they also earned the famous back badge on 21st March 1801:  The 28th regiment were surrounded by French troops and fought back to back until the attackers withdrew.

They fought alongside Sir Arthur Wellesley who commanded the British Army during the Peninsular Wars and they drove the French Armed Forces out of Spain.  In 1814  Wellesley was given the title the Duke of Wellington and was put in command of the army that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in June 1815.
They took part in the Crimean war, The Indian Mutiny and the 1st and 2nd World Wars and were fighting in Korea.

So the Gloucestershire Regiments have served their country for over 300 years.

In 1994 the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment amalgamated with the Gloucestershire Regiment to form the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.  In 2005 the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment became the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry.  In 2007 they merged with four Light Infantry and Rifle Regiments: The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, The Light Infantry, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry and The Royal Green Jackets  to become The Rifles.
They have served extremely bravely and have faced many challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan

The museum is open throughout the year from 10 – 5.  Everyday except Monday.

To find out more the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum Website is:  http://www.glosters.org.uk/

A walk around the Cotswold Village of Coberley

By: Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

This week I am going to suggest a walk along a section, a very small section of  The Gloucestershire Way

The full walk takes you from Tutshill, near Chepstow, through the Forest of Dean and down into the Severn Vale to Gloucester, then up Crickley Hill to the Air Balloon, and on into the Cotswolds taking a great sweep through Coberley to Stow-on-the-Wold before doubling back through Winchombe, finally finishing in Tewkesbury, a distance of 100 scenic miles. The section I’m going to talk about is about the tiny but very historic village of Coberley which lies near Severn Springs, above Cheltenham.

Interestingly, two years ago the tiny village of Coberley featured on national television because the Channel 4 Time Team arrived for a 3 day archaeological dig in a nearby field and uncovered two magnificent roman mosaic floors. Further finds gave them sufficient evidence to assume that they had uncovered the ruins of a high status late 2nd century villa and large country estate. The then owners had chosen a sheltered site near Ermine Street a major Roman road linking the important fortress towns of Cirencester and Gloucester.



Coberley village Church

Twelve hundred years later a large medieval stately home at Coberley became the childhood home of Sir Richard Whittington, thought to be the Dick Whittington of Christmas pantomimes, but I race ahead. The big house has long since gone, so a visit to the village church has Dick’s picture on the wall and the south chapel reveals some interesting stories about the Lords of the Manor and their families.



After the Norman invasion in the 11th century records show that the powerful Berkeley family owned vast areas of land including land at Coberley.  In about 1270 Sir Giles Berkley II travelled to the Holy Land with Prince Edward, and his large army to fight in the crusades. On their return home Sir Giles now a knight, member of parliament and important public figure settled into Coberley Hall and entertained his Prince who had become King Edward I.

When Sir Giles favourite war horse died, he had it buried in the churchyard, the horses headstone has its name, LOMBARD inscribed across it. You can see the headstone as you make your way to the church door. When Sir Giles died his body was buried in Little Malvern Priory church, however his heart was brought to Coberley for burial and there is a monument beside the altar, on the south wall of the sanctuary with a carved image of a knight holding a heart.



Sir Giles was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas who fought at the battle of Crecy with King Edward III. He died about 1350 and his tomb and stone effigy are in the south chapel. His widowed second wife Joan married Sir William Whittington of Pauntley. This was a very rash thing to do as they hadn’t sought permission from King Edward, to marry; so Sir William fell out of favour with the king as well as the Berkeley family, and was forced to live as an outlaw, he died a few years after Richard was born. Joan returned to Coberley where Richard was brought up. Joan was probably buried in the Berkeley family tomb as her stone effigy lies next Sir Thomas’s on top of the tomb.