One of Gloucester's oldest landmarks, the 15th-century St Michael's Tower, is set to be unveiled after a year of restoration work — just in time for Gloucester History Festival this September 2024.
The Grade II* listed building has been shrouded in scaffolding for the past year, after deteriorating masonry placed it on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in November 2023.
Affectionately known as the Tower by locals, the landmark has undergone extensive restoration work funded by Gloucester City Council, along with a £137,000 grant from Historic England.
Now structurally sound and ready to welcome back visitors, St Michael's Tower has had its lead roof and stonework repaired, with highly skilled stonemasons working to carve and replace its large architectural stones.
The Tower has a long history, dating back to the 1400s as the only surviving part of the medieval parish church of St Michael and All Angels. Standing at 25-metres high, it's an isolated monument at the centre point of the city, overlooking the cross of the Gate Streets.
It's now managed by Gloucester Civic Trust as a small heritage and tourist information centre for Gloucester, with the Trust also running daily city tours from the Tower's ground floor.
The scaffolding is due to be removed from St Michael's Tower in August 2024, with the repaired building set to be unveiled in time for Gloucester History Festival and Heritage Open Days.
