The rich history and breathtaking scenery of Gloucestershire have inspired many a literary work over the last couple of centuries. Poetry, children’s literature, a coming-of-age memoir and a well-known series of raunchy romance novels are just some of the gems that have caught the eye of book lover Nalani Kai LasMarias, a student at the University of Gloucestershire.


Have you ever had the feeling there is something magical and captivating about the air in Gloucestershire? If you nodded a silent yes, or jumped up and down with harmonious concord, you would not be wrong.

The county’s rich history and breathtaking scenery have inspired many famous literary figures over the years. Robert Frost’s famous poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ was inspired by a walk he often took while visiting his good friend, and fellow poet Edward Thomas, who lived in Dymock.

Just a minute’s walk from historic Gloucester Cathedral lies the birthplace of the renowned Beatrix Potter story ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’.

A gateway in the former precinct wall of the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter is where Beatrix set her story. She was inspired after staying at her cousin Caroline Hutton's home, where she was told the tale of local tailor John Pritchard.

The mysterious tailor had closed his shop one afternoon, leaving an unfinished cut waistcoat, only to return the next morning to find it perfectly sewn together. All that was left with the unexplainable completed waistcoat was a note that read ‘no more twist’.

Perplexed, Pritchard attributed it to the handiwork of fairies. After hearing the tale, Beatrix Potter made her way to the tailor’s shop and began writing.

If you were to visit the shop today, you would be delighted to see it is a shop and museum dedicated to the author. Originally opened in 2007 by the late Patricia Routledge, The House of the Tailor of Gloucester is an enchanting museum that transports you to the colourful world of Peter Rabbit. There are books, figurines, toys, and even a replica of The Tailor of Gloucester’s waistcoat.

Just a few steps ahead of the entrance you will find the tailor’s kitchen has been brought to life. It’s modeled on page 17 and 21 of the book.

Another great name I am sure many are familiar with is a certain Laurence Edward Alan Lee, better known as Laurie Lee.

His life in the Cotswolds' is detailed in his colourful novel ‘Cider with Rosie’. A beautiful memoir of his young days spent in Slad, his coming-of-age novel is set right after World War One.

It highlights the indelible mark of industrialisation on a rural society and the cruel irrevocability of time.

The beautiful rolling hills and wooded valleys heavily influenced Laurie Lee’s novels and poems, resonating with those who grew up in the countryside.

If you, too, share this bond with nature and want a tangible experience similar to reading his work, you must visit Slad Valley! Here you can visit The Woolpack Inn, where Laurie used to drink, and you can even see the very seat in which he used to sit!

For an even more immersive experience, you can walk the five-mile Laurie Lee Way. Along this walk you will encounter 10 poems inspired by the scenery in which they are placed.

My final Gloucestershire literary legend is Fredrick William Harvey who coined the title, ‘Laureate of Gloucestershire’. While serving in World War One, Harvey’s poetry moved the masses with his brilliant, poetic descriptions of Gloucestershire’s landscape.

Whilst serving in France, he published his first collection of poems, ‘A Gloucestershire Lad at Home and Abroad’, right after being captured by the German military. He spent the rest of the war in captivity; a period in his life where he wrote prolifically.

After returning home in 1919, Harvey wrote a memoir about his time spent incarcerated. You can visit his memorial at Gloucester Cathedral.

I hope this article has inspired you to seek out more literature inspired by our wonderful county, and perhaps to explore a genre you may not have picked off the shelf before.