Gloucester is the county town of Gloucestershire, and is the 53rd largest settlement in the UK by population. In 2001 the city had a population of 123,205. However the built-up area extends beyond the city boundary. The 2001 census gave the population of the whole “Gloucester Urban Area” as 136,203. Gloucester is also the most multicultural part of Gloucestershire.

It is located on the eastern bank of the River Severn, 114 miles (183 km) west north west of London. It is sheltered by the Cotswolds to the east, while the Forest of Dean and the Malvern Hills rise to the west and north, respectively.

Gloucester is a port, linked via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal which runs from Gloucester’s docks to the Severn Estuary, allowing larger ships to reach the docks than would be possible on the tidal reaches of the river itself. The wharfs, warehouses and the docks themselves fell into disrepair until their renovation in the 1980s. They now form a public open space. Some warehouses now house the National Waterways Museum, others were converted into residential apartments, shops and bars. Additionally, the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum is located in the Custom House. The port still houses the most inland RNLI lifeboat in the UK.