Barton Hill, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Barton Hill is an area of Bristol
, just to the east of the city centre and Bristol Temple Meads railway station
.
It includes residential, retail and industrial premises and is crossed by major roads, railway tracks and the feeder canal leading to Bristol Harbour
.
Barton was a manor
just outside Bristol mentioned in the Domesday Book
as Bertune apud Bristov, and later in 1220 as Berton Bristoll. In Saxon and early Norman times the manor was held by the king, and was known as Barton Regis. The manor gave its name to the hundred of Barton Regis
. Sloping ground at the southern end of the hundred, leading down to St Philip's Marsh, became known as Barton Hill.
Great Western Cotton Mill on Great Western Lane was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
in the early 19th century. Great Western Cotton factory opened in 1838 and closed in 1925. From a plan of 1839 the sheds are seen to have contained up to 1600 looms. The main spinning mill was demolished in 1968.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, just to the east of the city centre and Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
.
It includes residential, retail and industrial premises and is crossed by major roads, railway tracks and the feeder canal leading to Bristol Harbour
Bristol Harbour
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and...
.
History
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
just outside Bristol mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Bertune apud Bristov, and later in 1220 as Berton Bristoll. In Saxon and early Norman times the manor was held by the king, and was known as Barton Regis. The manor gave its name to the hundred of Barton Regis
Barton Regis (hundred)
Barton Regis was an ancient hundred of Gloucestershire, England, which also included the county of Bristol. In Gloucestershire it included the ancient parishes of*Clifton*Mangotsfield*Stapleton...
. Sloping ground at the southern end of the hundred, leading down to St Philip's Marsh, became known as Barton Hill.
Great Western Cotton Mill on Great Western Lane was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
in the early 19th century. Great Western Cotton factory opened in 1838 and closed in 1925. From a plan of 1839 the sheds are seen to have contained up to 1600 looms. The main spinning mill was demolished in 1968.
Cultural references
- Space RockSpace rockSpace rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
band Alien Stash Tin originated from Barton Hill and vocalist–guitarist Jon Wisbey still lives in the area. The regeneration of the area is also the inspiration behind the band's song "Rat In A Maze". - Barton Hill is also a stronghold of drum and bass with notable artist and Mercury Prize-winning Roni SizeRoni SizeRoni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
/Reprazent having a studio in the area, with his latest album showing Barton Hill on the front cover of Return to V. - During 1977 and 1978 Barton Hill Youth Centre was a popular venue for punkPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and New WaveNew Wave musicNew Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
acts to play. Among the bands that appeared were Siouxsie And The Banshees, Subway Sect, Slaughter And The Dogs, Adam And The AntsAdam and the AntsAdam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
, Cocksparrer, Wayne County And The Electric Chairs and local acts including The Media, The Pigs and The Pop Group. It was probably Bristol's first live punk venue. However escalating violence at the gigs contributed to its short lifespan as a concert venue.
Arts
- Art and design studio in the old Cotton Mill on Great Western Lane. The Cotton Mill has been converted into work space for artists, designers and makers. Also providing workshops for ceramics, printmaking and woodwork. The Studio called 'In Bristol' started in 2006 by four artists and makers from University of Plymouth.
- Barton Hill Artists are a free collective of locally based artists who specialize in community art activism and community based public instillation. Their work includes a 90 feet (27.4 m) mosaic on the Ducie Road railway bridge in the area, and a mural in Gaunts Ham Park, in nearby Lawrence Hill, BristolLawrence Hill, BristolLawrence Hill is an electoral ward of Bristol, United Kingdom. It takes its name from a small area just to the east of the city centre, and includes the districts of Barton Hill, St Philips Marsh and Redcliffe, Temple Meads and parts of Easton and the Broadmead shopping area.-History:It is the most...
.
External links
- The Barton Hill Settlement is a community resource for people in Barton Hill. Among other services it offers adult education classes on a variety of subjects, and runs a creche.
- In Bristol Studio is work space based in Barton Hill for artist, designers and makers.
- Barton Hill Advice Service