Upcoming Heritage Open Day Tours

  2nd September 2015

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The University is once again taking part in Cheltenham’s Heritage Open Days initiative. This year we’re offering tours of both Park and Francis Close Hall campuses, where you’ll be able to find out about the history of the sites and the students who have studies here.

The Park Campus remains a remarkable example of the early development of Cheltenham’s green spaces. Solicitor Thomas Billings bought the land in 1831 and had ambitious plans to open the “Gloucestershire Zoological, Botanical and Horticultural Gardens” to entertain the town’s pleasure-seekers. Today the campus is home to some of our 10,000 students plus a herd of Canada geese. Come along for a tour of the grounds and find out how it’s inhabitants changed from elephants to Ursuline nuns to female trainee-teachers over the years (plus a visit by the Queen Mother!).

Thursday 10 September. Tours 1pm/ 2pm/ 3pm from Elwes Reception

Francis Close Hall campus is one of Cheltenham’s best examples of a Victorian-Gothic building. Opened in 1850, it originally housed 39 male teacher-training students at Cheltenham Training College. Today FCH is one of the University of Gloucestershire’s thriving campuses for our 10,000 students. Come along for a behind-the-scenes tour of this Cheltenham landmark and discover what life was like as a student over the past 165 years. Who was Francis Close? Who burnt down part of the campus in 1914? Just how many ghosts are there at FCH?

Friday 11 September. Tours 1pm/ 2pm/ 3pm from the Chapel

To book email archives@glos.ac.uk or call 01242 714851