Gloucester is thought to have been one of Spode's earliest printed patterns to be produced in imitation of Chinese imported porcelain in response to demand for replacement pieces. The earliest recorded pattern number for Gloucester is 1866, dating from 1813, but the age of some copper plates in the Spode Museum collection with this pattern would suggest that it may have been produced as early as the 1790s.

The pattern was reproduced widely from the 1930s on Lowestoft shape in Stone China. Pattern Y2649 introduced in 1931 has a gold edge, and different colour versions also became popular: Gloucester Green Y2990 (1932) and Gloucester Red W89 (1955).

Gloucester Pink, pattern Y7510 (1955) was also made. Made on Hamburg shape with Florence shape cups, it was printed in pink and finished with a gold edge. Gloucester Pink was only available on bone china.

Gloucester is available today (1998) on earthenware Jumbo cups and saucers. A new version of this pattern was introduced in 1999 in blue and yellow and renamed Albany.