The city of Gloucester has a long and rich history. Founded in AD 97 by the Romans as Colonia Glevum Nervensis, under Emperor Nerv, it was granted its first charter in 1155 by Henry II. In 1216 Henry III, aged only ten years, was crowned with a gilded iron ring in the Chapter House of Gloucester Cathedral. Throughout the Middle Ages the city's importance is underlined by the fact that it contained a number of monastic establishments, including St Peter's Abbey, founded in 679, later Gloucester Cathedral; the nearby St Oswald's Priory, Gloucester, founded in the 880s or 890s; and Llanthony Secunda Priory, founded in 1136. The town is also the site of the 1643 Siege of Gloucester, during which the city held out against Royalist forces in the First English Civil War. The Church of St Mary de Crypt lies at the heart of this fascinating city, and the indication is that it has existed as a religious house since the 11th century, almost certainly pre-dating the Conquest.
1st edition 25" OS map 1844-1888
In 2017, Avon Archaeology Limited were commissioned by
Discover DeCrypt to undertake a programme of archaeological monitoring and survey associated with the repair and modernisation of St Mary De Crypt Church and the adjacent Old School Room, to comply with both Listed Building Consent and the Church of England Faculty for the development. Additionally, a requirement for public engagement was attached to the grant of funding from Historic England. The two buildings are protected by statutory Listing; the church at Grade I and the attached school room at Grade II*. During the renovation, the archaeological investigations encompassed three distinct elements: historic building recording, watching brief monitoring of all intrusive groundworks, and a community excavation.
In the Old School Room, the floor level was reduced through hand excavation to allow for installation of underfloor heating. The excavation functioned as a small community project under the supervision of Avon Archaeology Limited staff. Volunteers were drawn from several local history and interest groups, including the
Gloucester City Centre Community Partnership and the
Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group. Buried medieval soil deposits were recorded and a collection of artefacts were recovered, which included Roman pottery, coins, tokens and an evocative toy cannon.
No notable deposits or features were recorded, with the exception of a drain feature.