Kingsway – An illustrious history
The area upon which Kingsway now stands has enjoyed a rich past and played a memorable
role in the history of the local area as well as the country.
The King’s Way
The area now known as Quedgeley was recognised as far back as 1066 when it was mentioned
as part of Gloucester Abbey’s Standish Estate. However, it was not until 1095,
ten years after William the Conqueror’s Christmas Day Council met in Gloucester
to order the production of the Domesday Book, that Quedgeley received its independence
as a parish.
Its most celebrated moment however, came in 1535 when Henry VIII and his current
wife, Anne Boleyn were met on Quedgeley Green by city representatives on their way
to visit Gloucester. The route they then followed on their way to the City became
known as the King’s Way.
Manor Farm
At the heart of the Kingsway site lies the impressive structure of Manor Farm. Records
show that there was a manor house on this site as far back as the 1100’s.
However the present building is far more modern than this.
The earliest part, the northern wing, dates from the early 16th Century and boasts
an elaborately finished interior with heavily moulded ceiling beams and richly carved
woodwork. The house was developed further in the mid 1500’s with the addition
of the central block and the southern wing is thought to have been added in the
19th Century.
The house was a private residence until around the time of the First World War,
when it became the property of the Air Ministry who used it first as a cavalry depot
and then as a ploughing school. After the war it served as a training centre for
ex-servicemen before becoming a private residence once more.