Getting ready for 2027!
Thanks to a grant of £9.5k from the Lloyds Register Foundation, plans are well underway to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Gloucester Docks in 2027.
The image below shows the newly commissioned Gloucestershire Mariners' exhibition in the buttery of the 13th century Blackfriars Priory, on display as part of the History Festival in September 2025.
This physical exhibition, compiled by local historian, Tony Conder, will be shown in a variety of venues around the City over the next few months including the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester. There is currently a mini version of the exhibition in the lobby of the Heritage Hub. Alongside this, there is also an online exhibition available via here and staff at Gloucestershire Archives have also produced a research guide to maritime resources in Gloucestershire for anyone interested in the history of the Docks and the people who lived and worked there.
The Gloucestershire Family History Society have also been busy researching crew members. See their article for more information. However, plans are afoot to create temporary blue plaques to commemorate crew members lost at sea. They'll be more news on this and other dock related activity over the next few months leading up to the main celebrations in 2027.