The
old St Catherine's parish church was previously St Oswald's Priory. The
priory was dedicated in about AD 890 by Aethelflaed, the daughter of Alfred
the Great and wife of the Lord of Mercia, Aethelred. The site may have been
chosen for the availability of stone plundered from the ruins of the Roman
city, or the proximity of a possible Roman church (under nearby St Mary de
Lode), or perhaps the river running alongside for easy transport (now no
longer adjacent) and the proximity of the Kingsholm palace.
In 909, Aethelflaed and her brother Edward, King of Wessex, successfully led
an army into Viking-held Lincolnshire and brought back the remains of St
Oswald. The relics were buried in the priory, in a new crypt specially
constructed at the east end. Aethelflaed and Aethelred were also buried
alongside the remains of St Oswald. Gloucester City Museum houses a fragment
of one of the three tombs.
During the next century the site became one of pilgrimage, famous for its
wealth and miracles; it was nicknamed The Golden Minster. By the time of the
Norman Conquest, however, St Oswald's had fallen on hard times although
works did continue on the fabric of the building. The old Saxon round arches
(still visible) of the north arcade were partially blocked and replaced by
pointed 13th-14th century ones.
At the Dissolution the church survived, and in 1548 became the church of St
Catherine. In 1643, during the Siege of Gloucester, the church was seriously
damaged by royalist artillery. The City Council ordered its demolition in
1653, apart from the wall which still survives today; the stones were used
to build a new market building.
For two centuries parishioners shared nearby St Mary de Lode church, until a
new church was built beside the ruins in 1867/8. The new church, designed by
local architect M H Medland, survived until 1921, when it was demolished
following the construction of a replacement church.
The
new St Catharine's (note different spelling) church (see photo right), was designed by Walter B Wood
in 14th century style; it was consecrated in 1915. It is situated at the top
of Wotton Pitch, in the London Road. The font was brought from the old
church.