Saint Aldate (; died 577) was a bishop of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

, venerated as a saint with the feast day of 4 February. Aldate's life is not detailed historically, but he was probably a

Briton British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...

killed by the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

at Deorham. He is reported to have roused the countryside to resist pagan invasion forces. He is mentioned in the Sarum and other

martyrologies A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...

; his feast occurs in a Gloucester calendar (14th-century addition); churches were dedicated to him at Gloucester and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, as well as a famous Oxford street:

St Aldate's, Oxford St Aldate's () is a street in central Oxford, England, named after Saint Aldate, but formerly known as Fish Street. The street runs south from the generally acknowledged centre of Oxford at Carfax. The Town Hall, which includes the Museum ...

and a minor street in Gloucester. But nothing seems to be known of him: it was even suggested that his name was a corruption of "old gate".

References

* Baring-Gould and Fisher, ii. 426–8; Early British Kingdoms after 1100, ii. 40 Southwestern Brythonic saints 577 deaths Year of birth unknown {{Saint-stub