Explore Gloucester's fascinating hidden history, with Gloucester Festival of Archaeology providing two weeks of activities, from guided walking tours to expert talks, from Saturday 18 July until Sunday 2 August 2026.
Family Day at Gloucester Festival of Archaeology 2026
Gloucester Festival of Archaeology kicks off with Family Day on Saturday 18 July, transforming the city centre into a huge, hands-on heritage playground.
Little historians can take part in a miniature archaeological dig outside Gloucester Cathedral, explore the 3D archaeology trail on the Gate Streets, hunt for dinosaur fossils and hidden treasures at the Museum of Gloucester, try metal detecting and meet TV stars the Taynton Detectorists at The Folk of Gloucester, make sediment bottles, identify bones and play dress up at Eastgate Shopping Centre, and hear talks on hidden Tudor paintings at St Mary de Crypt.
To see the full Family Day programme, visit gloucestercivictrust.org/gloucester-festival-of-archaeology/festival-day.
Walks and tours at Gloucester Festival of Archaeology 2026
On Tuesday 21 July, take a walking tour of Roman Gloucester to explore the Eastgate Chamber and meet Emperor Nerva at 10.30am; explore Saxon Gloucester and get to know Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, at 11am; or head out on a guided nature walk on Alney Island at 11am.
On Friday 24 and 31 July, visitors can take a guided tour of Llanthony Secunda Priory; with additional guided tours of the Eastgate Chamber taking place on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July.
While on Friday 31 July, there's a guided archaeology, geology and habitat tour of Cleeve Hill at 10am.
To book guided tour tickets, visit gloucestercivictrust.org/gloucester-festival-of-archaeology/foa-tours.
Expert talks at Gloucester Festival of Archaeology 2026
St Nicholas Church invites visitors to 'an audience with King Henry VIII' at 2.30pm on Sunday 19 July, where the famous monarch regales visitors with tales of his long and eventful reign.
At The Folk of Gloucester, uncover the archaeology of Gloucester's rivers, including the complex history of the River Twyver which runs underneath the city, on Tuesday 21 July; while on Wednesday 22 July, 'Tales From Trauma: Life And Violence In The Roman Colonia of Gloucester' shows how the latest bioarchaeological methods are uncovering the lives of individuals recovered from a large Roman cemetery on Barton Street – with both talks starting at 6.30pm.
There are two talks on Thursday 23 July, with St Michael's Tower hosting a talk on The Stone Age and the arrival of iron at 11.30am, followed by a talk and tour of The King's Bastion beneath King's Walk Shopping Centre with City Council archaeologist, Andrew Armstrong, at 1pm.
On Wednesday 29 July at 6pm, 'Gloucester's Great Cloister Talk' sees archaeologist Chiz Harward take a deep dive into this fascinating piece of historical architecture and the huge conservation project working to preserve it.
Then, on Thursday 30 July, author Linda Proud delivers a talk on how she brings the mostly lost Iron Age world to life in her historical fiction, along with two short readings from her work.
To book tickets to any of the expert talks, visit gloucestercivictrust.org/gloucester-festival-of-archaeology/foa-talks.
Fun social events at Gloucester Festival of Archaeology 2026
Hotel Indigo's rooftop bar, Crimson Spire, is hosting an archaeology cocktail evening from 7pm on Thursday 23 July, with themed drinks to enjoy as you soak up the stunning views of Gloucester Cathedral.
Llanthony Secunda Priory is hosting an archaeology-themed quiz night at 7pm on Saturday 25 July; while on Saturday 1 August from 11am to 3pm, visitors are invited to a picnic at St Oswald's Priory.
How to book tickets to Gloucester Festival of Archaeology 2026
To see the full programme, and book tickets, visit gloucestercivictrust.org/gloucester-festival-of-archaeology.
