Gloucester

Gloucester (pronounced [ˈglɒstə]) is a city and district in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is near the Welsh border on the River Severn.^[1]

Gloucester
City and Non-metropolitan district
Gloucester and its cathedral
Coat of arms
City of Gloucester shown within Gloucestershire
Coordinates: 51°51′52″N 02°14′40″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	South West England
Non-metropolitan county	Gloucestershire
Status	Non-metropolitan district, city
Admin HQ	Gloucester
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Gloucester City Council
• Leadership	Mayor & Cabinet ( )
• MPs	Richard Graham
Area
• Total	15.65 sq mi (40.54 km2)
• Rank	289th (of 326)
Population  (2005 est.)
• Total	128,500
• Rank	170th (of 326)
• Density	8,200/sq mi (3,200/km2)
• Ethnicity	84.6% White British 4.6% White Other 4.8% Asian 2.9% Black or Black British 2.9% Mixed Race 0.3% Other
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Postcodes	GL1-GL4
Area code	01452
ONS code	23UE (ONS) E07000081 (GSS)
OS grid reference	SO832186
Website	www.gloucester.gov.uk

Culture

The annual Three Choirs Festival, which started in the eighteenth century and one of the oldest music festivals in Europe, takes place in Gloucester every third year. The other places the festival is held are Hereford and Worcester.

Some parts of the Harry Potter films were filmed at Gloucester cathedral.

Gloucester Rugby, founded in 1873, play here. The team plays in the Guinness Premiership, the top level of English rugby. Their homeground is Kingsholm.

Transport

Road

The M5 motorway by-passes Gloucester.

The A38, A40, A417, A430, A4301, A4302, B4008, B4063, B4072 and B4073 roads pass through Gloucester.

Rail

Gloucester has a station in the middle of the city.^[2]