The central area of the city of
BristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.With an estimated population of 416,400 for the unitary authority in mid-2007, and a surrounding urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, it is England's sixth, and...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is the area south of the central
ring roadRing road is another term for beltway. It may also refer to:* Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring road of Iceland* Ring Road * "Ring Road", a song by the electronic band, Underworld....
and north of the
Floating HarbourBristol 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...
, bordered north by
St PaulsSt Pauls is an inner suburb of Bristol, England, situated just north east of the city centre and west of the M32. It is roughly boarded by the A38, the B4051 and the A4032. In the early 18th century it was laid out as one of Bristol's first suburbs.-History:...
and
EastonEaston is both the name of a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and an inner city area that lies partly within that ward. The Easton ward also contains the Whitehall and Netham areas of the city. Notable places within the ward include Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road railway...
, east by
Temple MeadsBristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important interchange 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...
and
RedcliffeSt Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of the English port city of Bristol, close to the city centre.-Background:The church is Grade I listed,*the tallest building in Bristol...
, and west by
CliftonClifton is the name of both one of the thirty-five council wards in the City of Bristol in England, and of a large suburb of the city that lies mostly within that ward...
and Canon's Marsh. It is contained entirely within the Council ward of
CabotCabot is a council ward that covers the centre of Bristol. It gets its name from the Cabot Tower - a memorial tower on Brandon Hill that was built to commemorate John Cabot's voyage and "discovery" of North America.-Areas:...
.
Historic centre
The historic heart of the city was immediately north of
Bristol BridgeBristol Bridge is an old bridge over the floating harbour in Bristol, England.The original bridge was a medieval wooden structure that had both its sides lined with houses. A seventeenth century illustration shows that these were five stories high, including the attic rooms, and that they overhung...
, between the
River FromeThe River Frome is a river in South Gloucestershire. It is not to be confused with other rivers in the south west of England with the same name...
and the
River AvonThe River Avon is a river in the south west of England. Because of a number of other Rivers Avon in England, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
, in the area of High Street, Broad Street and Corn Street. The eastern part of this area, between the bridge and
Bristol CastleBristol Castle was a Norman castle built for the defence of Bristol. Remains can be seen today in Castle Park near the Broadmead Shopping Centre, including the sally port....
, was destroyed in 1940 during the
Bristol BlitzBristol was the fifth most heavily bombed British city of World War II. The presence of the Bristol Harbour and the Bristol Aeroplane Company made it a target for bombing by the Nazi German Luftwaffe who were able to trace a course up River Avon from Avonmouth using reflected moonlight on the...
, but the western part largely survived, and contains many historic buildings.
After the war, the blitzed area was redeveloped, and Castle Park was also created.
The Centre
The course of the River Frome, immediately to the west of the historic centre, was covered over in stages, in the second half of the 19th century. The area became the hub of the city's
tramway networkThe Bristol Tramways Company was formed in 1875 by Sir George White to serve the city of Bristol, England. It operated trams until 1941 when a Luftwaffe bomb destroyed the power station.-History:...
, and was known as the
Tramways Centre. It was so called long after the last trams left in 1939, but is now known simply as the
Centre.
Between 1936 and 1938, the Centre was enlarged when more of the River Frome, between Broad Quay and St Augustine's Parade, was covered in, making way for an inner ring road. These planning decisions are beginning to be reversed, for example, the ring road is no longer circular, as the stretch through
Queen SquareQueen Square is a public open space in the centre of the historic city of Bristol, England.The square was planned in 1699 and building finished in 1727. It was named in honour of Queen Anne. The north side and much of the west were destroyed in the Bristol Riots of 1831 and rebuilt...
has been closed and returned to its use as a public park. St Augustine's Parade is also becoming less car oriented, as roads have been narrowed, turned into bus lanes or closed altogether. The Centre was redeveloped for the millennium, with fountains and a cascade being erected.
Broadmead
The area northeast of the historic area, around Broadmead, was heavily damaged during the blitz. After the war the area was redeveloped, and the streets and shops in Broadmead became the main shopping district of the city. To the northwest is St James' Park.
Like most 1950s buildings in Britain, affordable but architecturally uninteresting utilitarian buildings form the bulk of the Broadmead area. In the 1980s some of these were demolished to make way for the Galleries shopping centre, which is a three level covered street.
Broadmead is undergoing regeneration. The shopping area has been extended over the central ring road to produce a new shopping centre,
Cabot CircusCabot Circus is a shopping mall in Bristol, England. It is located next to Broadmead, the main shopping district in Bristol city centre. The Cabot Circus development area contains shops, offices, a cinema, hotel and 250 apartments. It covers a total of floor space, of which is retail outlets and...
, which opened in September 2008. This area had been named Merchants Quarter but in April 2006 the name was abandoned after a campaign claiming the name was offensive because it was the Bristol Merchant Venturers who dealt in the trade of African slaves.
Harbourside
The City Docks were immediately south of the Centre. Although most ships used
Avonmouth DocksThe Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
after the Royal Edward Dock was opened in 1908, ocean-going ships were regularly seen at the Centre until the 1960s. In 1972 the
Royal Portbury DockThe Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated near the village of Portbury on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth...
was opened, and the City Docks were closed. The harbour buildings, including the tobacco warehouses, became redundant.
The harbourside has been regenerated in the 1990s and 2000s, with the refurbishment of warehouses as bars, restaurants, the
Watershed Media CentreThe Watershed Media Centre opened in two disused warehouses, V and W sheds, on Canon's Road at Saint Augustine's Reach, part of Bristol Harbour in 1982, and claims to be the United Kingdom's first dedicated media centre...
and the
ArnolfiniThe Arnolfini is an arts centre in Bristol, England. It has a changing programme of exhibitions, live art and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and discussions and cinema. The exhibitions are free...
art gallery, as well as the creation of
At-BristolAt-Bristol is a public science and technology "exploration" and education centre in Bristol, England. At its opening the centre consisted of Explore, which contains features on mechanics, sound and light, computer science, space and the human brain; Wildwalk, a science centre comprising two...
.
Old City
Old City is the area to the North East of St Augustine's reach, It contains St Nicolas Market and many Bars and restaurants and is a key part of Bristol's night life.
External links