A Vulcan Welcomes You to Gloucester Cathedral
For 2 months, Gloucester cathedral will host the largest exhibition of UK sculpture outside London. There will be 75 different pieces on display in the cathedral and its grounds. So big is the venture that when I was there a few weeks ago, they were erecting scaffolding and preparing for it. It was going to take a whole week to just get the exhibits into position. Called Crucible, the event opens on September 1st and runs until October 30th so there is plenty of time to get down to Gloucester to see it. And it won’t be going to any other towns or cities. Miss this opportunity and you don’t get another.
Sculptors included in Crucible include Anthony Gormley (responsible for The Angel of the North,) Damien Hurst, Lynn Chadwick and Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. Paolozzi’s huge 15 foot high sculpture, Vulcan on loan from the National Galleries of Scotland is the centrepiece of Crucible and you won’t be able to miss it. It will be outside the main entrance. One sculptor who won’t have to travel far is Jordi Raga Frances. He works as a stonemason at the cathedral. Some are better known through their links with Gallery Pangolin who have helped curate the exhibition.
The event must be proving popular even before it opens since the official website has been down at times in the last few days so you will have to be patient to see more information about it. The free exhibition has generated lots of interest locally but for those of you travelling from further afield and looking to stay overnight, the local tourist authority has put some overnight packages together. If you are considering staying then it might be better to wait a week or two and let the rush die away.
It comes, of course, as Gloucester joins the rest of our countries in celebrating our heritage. From 9-12 September, Gloucester has over 100 events planned. You can collect the 20 page brochure from the tourist office or download it from their website
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For visitors who have never been to Gloucester before:
Gloucester gets very busy especially on Staurdays if Gloucester Rugby Team are playing at Kingsholm (as the rugby season is about to kick off) parking becomes even more difficult. The Cathederal is almost in the centre of Gloucester and on days like Saturday parking is a problem, So, for people travelling to the exhibition better to find parking outside the city and travel in by bus service (uness you arrive early) or walk (weather permitting). Weekdays are slightly better but you have the work traffic to contend with, Sundays may be the best day of the week for getting into the City..
NB the City Centre has multi story car parks and open air car parks but often you will queue to get in, So again think about parking before you travel. Hope this helps!!!