London Day Trip: Gloucester (Car- Free)

Gloucester is a historic city within easy reach- direct train- of both London and Bath that has been featured in many films. Yet we never see it on the "best day trips from London by train" lists! Scroll down to find out more about Gloucester and whether it's a hidden gem or better skipped.

Gloucester is a city I wanted to love for many reasons:

• my Father went to school here was a child
• it's a cathedral city with a cathedral dating back to the 11th century (The cathedral is gorgeous and worth visiting, especially when combined with a cathedral tour to learn more about its history and role in the Harry Potter films.)
• the city has a rich history that includes the famous Lady Godiva (also known as the naked lady on a white horse) and is home to many quaint historic houses
• it has Victorian warehouses (and a discount designer outlet!)
• parts of Harry Potter was filmed there
• it's home to Beatrix Potter House (free entry) where Beatrix Potter created the Tailor of Gloucester.

Top thing to do in Gloucester: visit Gloucester cathedral and take a tour of the 11th century building

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy my day in Gloucester as much as I had expected! (Scroll down for more on this.)

Gloucester Station is small, with a lounge/waiting room, basic toilet facilities, and a small coffee kiosk.  The lift and taxi rank outside the railway station makes it convenient for travelers with luggage.

The town centre and historic Gloucester Quays (where you find the discounted shopping outlet) are both within walking distance so you don't really have to fork out more for a cab.

Gloucester Cathedral is definitely the best thing to do in Gloucester city centre.

Located just off the town centre. It's a magnificent building with over 1300 years of history. The building is so gorgeous, it's been featured:

• as Hogwarts in Harry Potter
• in BBC's Sherlock Holmes (2015)
• Wolf Hall (2015)
• Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
• The Whit Princess (2017)
• Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic (2006)

The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Entry fee is donation based but there's a small charge if you decide to take one of the tours of the tower/ crypt/ library etc (ranging from £6-£12. Highly recommended.)

The only fly in the ointment is its location.

Even though we didn't encounter any racial attacks or harassment, I felt a little unsafe wandering around the Gloucester town centre. It was just a gut feeling but when I googled, this article about Gloucester having a higher-than-average number of "anti-social" incidents came up, so it seems my instincts weren't too far off.

That's actually why you don't see many photos in this post- I didn't quite dare take out my phone and loiter around filming! Luckily, I was much more comfortable at Gloucester Quays (which I cover below.)

Take a Ghost Tour

In locations where I don't feel super safe, I prefer taking a guided tour (so I'm not a solo female of color wandering around town.) In Gloucester, this ghost tour will take you back in time and share the macabre secrets of the town's Greyfriars Priory, Gloucester Cathedral and Dick Whittington Pub.

Gloucester Quays is located at Gloucester Docks, and I felt much safer here.

Besides having High Street shops offering generous discounts, there are also restaurants and cafes, a multi-screen cinema etc. Some of the shops include:

• Levi’s
• AllSaints
• Le Creuset
• M&S
• Phase eight

The Docks were quite empty when we visited but we felt safe exploring the shops (as opposed to in the town centre.)

I have also been to other discount outlets in the UK such as Bicester Village and Ashford Design Centre (on our way to Boys Hall (Restaurant & Rooms))- Gloucester Quays is the most picturesque of the 3, thanks to the waterfront and its historic location. Part of Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass was filmed here!

However, Gloucester doesn't have as many shops as the other 2. In addition, if you're looking for designer brands such as Brunello Cuccinelli and Carolina Herrera, you can only find them at Bicester. (Ashford and Gloucester have similar types of shops- High Street, and not designer.)

Note: in the town centre, there's also Eastgate Shopping centre which we found very underwhelming. If you're in the area and wanting to shop, definitely had to Gloucester Quays instead.

Gloucester offers a range of guest services such as wheelchairs, turbo tot car, mobility scooters etc to use within Gloucester and the Docks.

Address : 36 Southgate St, Gloucester, GL1 2DR

This public house is located in a beautiful 16th C timber-framed town house, with 7 rooms and a lovely beer garden.

The food is reasonably priced, the staff friendly and the atmosphere very relaxing.  We had a beef burger, sausages with onion rings and ice cream- to be frank, the food wasn't amazing but the service and ambience was wonderful.

To be honest, I wouldn't particularly recommend Gloucester as a top day trip from London or Bath - unless you're a huge Harry Potter fan- due to the fact that I didn't feel very safe wandering around the town centre. If you're looking for a day trip from London Paddington, I HIGHLY recommend heading to Bath, Bradford on Avon, or Bristol instead.

Any questions about a day trip to Gloucester? Let me know in the comments!