The Roman ruin under a shopping centre trapdoor

A Roman monument which lies underneath a trapdoor in a shopping centre has reopened to the public for the first time since 2019.

Part of Gloucester's Roman walls and a medieval defensive tower were first uncovered in 1960 when the King's Walk Shopping Centre was built.

Named the King's Bastion, the ruins lie in a chamber 3m (10 ft) below the ground, which was closed almost seven years ago due to the pandemic and subsequent flooding.

Gloucester City Council archaeologist Andrew Armstrong said it was "remarkable" the almost 2000-year-old structure still remained and described it as "one of the best-preserved standing remains of the Roman city walls of Gloucester".

Blocks of limestone for the wall from Painswick in Gloucestershire would have been set on oak timbers which still survive below ground, a "huge undertaking for its time", Armstrong said.

The site's reopening after the pandemic was delayed when pumps used to keep the area dry failed four years ago.

The council said it had since fixed the pumps and regularly inspected the chamber to ensure there was no lasting environmental damage.

Tours of the monument are now taking place once a month until August.

Jim Dillon, one of the volunteer tour guides from the Civic Trust, said the monument was a "magnificent example of what Gloucester has got to offer".

"It's amazing that you meet people that have lived in Gloucester all their lives and they don't know this exists," he added.

Tours of the site take about half an hour and are being run by the Museum of Gloucester.

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