The Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad black plaque

This black commemorative plaque records: The Port of Gloucester The Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad (1811 - 1861) Through this gateway, the nine mile long tramroad entered the docks. Wagons carrying goods and minerals were pulled by horses along cast - iron rails having a gauge of 3ft. 6in. (1.1M). It was the first railway in the country authorised by Act of Parliament. The steam locomotive Royal William was tried in 1831 or 1832 but its weight broke the rails. This plaque was erected in 1991 by Gloucester Civic Trust and the Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaeology. Recorded plaque organisation: Gloucester Civic Trust, Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaeology, Port of Gloucester.

The Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad, operational from 1811 to 1861, was the first railway authorized by Act of Parliament in Britain, pioneering the use of cast-iron rails for transporting goods and minerals between Gloucester and Cheltenham.