A pre-Dark Age ritual will honour the rebuilding of one of the landmark entrances to Gloucester.

Councillor Paul James, Leader of Gloucester City Council, will lead a topping out ceremony this afternoon (Friday, May 11) to celebrate an important milestone for the new bus station.

The ancient custom, which apparently can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious rite and some believe to as far back as 2,700BC, is said to bring good luck to a new building by appeasing spirits disturbed by the construction.

It will see representatives from the city council gather with local partners GFirst LEP, construction company Kier, and dignitaries from Gloucester to mark the completion of the roof.

Cllr Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: "I'm delighted to reach this significant milestone for the new transport hub which is going to be a great asset for the city.

"It will not only make it much more pleasant and efficient for people using public transport but will also mean that visitors are welcomed to our city by a fantastic new modern building."

Dev Chakraborty, GFirst LEP, deputy chief executive, said. "GFirst LEP is delighted to have invested into the new transport hub right in the heart of Gloucester City."

In keeping with the history of topping out ceremonies this afternoon's event will involve the symbolic tying of a sprig of spruce to the highest point of the structure.

The £7.5m state of the art bus station funded by GFirst LEP and the city council, will serve as a new transport hub for Gloucester and is one of the first major regeneration projects on the north side of the city centre.

It is a key regeneration project for the city and will complement the planned multi-million pound facelift for the city's train station and the nearby Kings Quarter development.

The glass fronted bus station will feature digital screens with real time information for passengers, a café, toilets and seating areas as well as a display of the Roman wall that was discovered underneath the foundations.

It is also equipped with solar panels to power internal lighting and has been designed to be fully accessible for people with disabilities.

Fore more pictures and video from see this site from later today - post ritual.