GLOUCESTER RENAISSANCE
The Magnificent Seven #7 Canal Corridor
Over the past decade, a major development of homes has sprung up on one of the most important gateways to Gloucester and it continues to grow. Dubbed the Canal Corridor, the area forming a ribbon stretching from the city centre and Docks alongside the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and Bristol Road has enjoyed a re-birth. Disused factory buildings and tumbledown sheds have given way to new waterside homes in an idyllic setting. As far back as 2009, planning consent was given to develop hundreds of new homes on seven acres of the former Contract Chemicals site off of Bristol Road. Next to the canal, the main centre of activity is now focused around the Monk Meadow area, which, strictly speaking, is part of the wider Gloucester Quays development. The canal side holds a special magic, not least for walkers and cyclists, with recent improvements made to the increasingly busy canal path. Work on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal began in 1794, but was not completed until 1827. In its heyday, the waterway was used for transporting timber, grain and coal and helped to put Gloucester on the industrial map of the UK. Now it is an important leisure and lifestyle attraction. Developers Crest Nicholson and partners Peel are currently building more than 400 homes in an area bordered by Monk Meadow and the canal, Sainsburys and Hempsted Lane. Called The Waterfront, the £85 million development of flats and houses will help give the Gloucester economy a further boost and provide badly-needed new homes l
BEFORE
The Canal Corridor in 2008
48 | July 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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