Hotwells
Encyclopedia
Hotwells is a district of the English
port city of Bristol
. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton
, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour
. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge
, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. The eastern end of the area is at the roundabout where Jacobs Well Road meets Hotwell Road. Hotwells forms part of the city ward of Clifton.
lying just north of the Floating Harbour
and the river Avon. To the north and some 300 feet (91.4 m) higher is the suburb of Clifton
. Much of the present built up area was originally a salt marsh
known as Rownham Mead. Nearly half of Rownham Mead was excavated in the early 19th century to construct the Cumberland Basin
, which forms part of the entrance lock system of the city docks. The west of the area marks the beginning of the Portway
road which connects Bristol to Avonmouth
, passing under the Clifton Suspension Bridge
which lies about 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) north of Hotwells.
. The springs were first documented in 1480 by William Worcester
, the 15th century chronicle
r and antiquary
. He described the waters as being milky and as warm as those at Bath. In 1692 the Society of Merchant Venturers
leased the springs and a pump room was built. The pump room of 1696 was demolished and replaced by Hotwells House in 1816. The later building was itself demolished when the river was widened in 1867. In the Georgian era
, Hotwells was developed as a spa
in an attempt to compete with Bath, which included the building of Dowry Square
. Many visitors came, including the diarist John Evelyn
and the travel writer Celia Fiennes
, who hunted for Bristol Diamonds
in the gorge. Despite this, Hotwells never attained the same status as Bath, and eventually the waters were found to be polluted. A new pump room was built in 1822, but eventually demolished in 1867 to allow for widening of the river Avon.
In 1799, the physician Thomas Beddoes
opened the Pneumatic Institution
in Dowry Square
in Hotwells. Free treatment was advertised for those suffering from consumption, asthma, dropsy, "obstinate Venereal Complaints" and scrophula. The laboratory superintendant was Humphry Davy
, who investigated nitrous oxide
, also known as laughing gas, using equipment designed by James Watt
. Under Davy's supervision laughing gas parties were held, attended by guests such as Robert Southey
, Thomas Wedgwood and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
.
In the 20th century much of the housing in Hotwells was in a poor state of repair, but since the 1970s there has been refurbishment of the older Georgian properties and new build of housing on derelict dockside wharves and gaps along the Hotwell Road.
church, was opened in 1839 in a rather elaborate Early English Style building. For many years it was used as a garage and is now housing association
managed flats.
Hotwells includes several of Bristol's Grade II* listed buildings, including the Church of Holy Trinity
, designed by Cockrell, and the whole of Albemarle Row, a Georgian terrace. Also listed is the Pump House
, formerly the power plant for Bristol Harbour
's bridges and other machinery, now a pub
.
has scenes set at the spa. Fanny Burney
's Evelina
is partly set in Hotwells, as the eponymous heroine visits Bristol during its spa-town years.
recorded Hotwells as two Super Output Area Lower Layers, 034A, the western part of Hotwells and 034C in the east. The latter layer included parts of Cliftonwood. The figures recorded in the two areas were broadly similar with 034A recording a population of 1,485, with about 58% being described as economically active, 17% students and 7% retired. 42% of homes were owner occupied. 50% of residents had university degrees or equivalent. 50% described themselves as Christian and 44% as having no religion. In 034C the figures were a population of 1,522 with about 66% being described as economically active, 12% students and 6.5% retired. 65% of homes were owner occupied. 55% of residents had university degrees or equivalent. 50% described themselves as Christian and 46% as having no religion. 1,438 persons in 034A were described as white, with 28 of mixed race, 19 Asian, 17 black and 18 Chinese. In 034C 1,374 were described as white, 33 of mixed race, 24 Asian, 24 black and 29 Chinese.
and Bristol Cathedral Choir School.
route, Hotwells railway station
was the city terminus of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier
line to Avonmouth
, the lower terminus of the Clifton Rocks Railway
, the Rownham Ferry which crossed the Avon
to Bower Ashton
, the locks giving access to the Floating Harbour, and the landing stages used by passenger steamers. In the 1920s, the A4 Portway road
was driven through the Avon Gorge to provide better access from the city to Avonmouth Docks
, in the process removing all signs of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier's station. Since the 1960s, the western end of Hotwells has been dominated by a flyover complex, which enables traffic from the city centre and the A4 Portway to cross the river and harbour entrance locks to access the south west side of the city.
Public transport links include buses serving Weston-super-Mare
, Clevedon
and Portishead
which pass through the area. There is also a ferry service to the city centre and Temple Meads railway station
.
members since 1995. The Parliamentary constituency is Bristol West, the MP since 2005 is Stephen Williams
of the Liberal Democrats. Hotwells is represented in the European Parliament
by the six MEPs
of the South West England constituency
.
.
England
England 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, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
port city of Bristol
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...
. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, and directly to the north of the Floating 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...
. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. The eastern end of the area is at the roundabout where Jacobs Well Road meets Hotwell Road. Hotwells forms part of the city ward of Clifton.
Location
Hotwells is approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Bristol city centreBristol city centre
Bristol city centre is the commercial, cultural and business centre of Bristol, England. It is the area south of the central ring road and north of the Floating Harbour, bounded north by St Pauls and Easton, east by Temple Meads and Redcliffe, and west by Clifton and Canon's Marsh...
lying just north of the Floating 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...
and the river Avon. To the north and some 300 feet (91.4 m) higher is the suburb of Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
. Much of the present built up area was originally a salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
known as Rownham Mead. Nearly half of Rownham Mead was excavated in the early 19th century to construct the Cumberland Basin
Cumberland Basin (Bristol)
The Cumberland Basin is the main entrance to the docks of the city of Bristol, England. It separates the areas of Hotwells from the tip of Spike Island.The River Avon never flowed through the Cumberland Basin...
, which forms part of the entrance lock system of the city docks. The west of the area marks the beginning of the Portway
Portway, Bristol
The Portway is a trunk road, approximately long, which links central Bristol, England, with its port at Avonmouth. It is part of the A4 road, which was the primary east west highway in Southern England before the construction of the M4 motorway....
road which connects Bristol to Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, passing under the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
which lies about 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) north of Hotwells.
History
Hotwells takes its name from the hot springs which bubble up through the rocks of the Avon Gorge underneath the Clifton Suspension BridgeClifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
. The springs were first documented in 1480 by William Worcester
William Worcester
William Worcester , was an English chronicler and antiquary.-Life:He was a son of William of Worcester, a Bristol citizen, and is sometimes called William Botoner, his mother being a daughter of Thomas Botoner from Catalonia....
, the 15th century chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
r and antiquary
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
. He described the waters as being milky and as warm as those at Bath. In 1692 the Society of Merchant Venturers
Society of Merchant Venturers
The Society of Merchant Venturers is a private entrepreneurial and charitable organisation in the English city of Bristol, which dates back to the 13th century...
leased the springs and a pump room was built. The pump room of 1696 was demolished and replaced by Hotwells House in 1816. The later building was itself demolished when the river was widened in 1867. In the Georgian era
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
, Hotwells was developed as a spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
in an attempt to compete with Bath, which included the building of Dowry Square
Dowry Square
Dowry Square is in the Hotwells area of Bristol.It was laid out in 1727 by George Tully and building continued until 1750. The houses are three-storeyed with attics, simply detailed and with channelled pilasters to the party walls....
. Many visitors came, including the diarist John Evelyn
John Evelyn
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
and the travel writer Celia Fiennes
Celia Fiennes
Celia Fiennes was an English traveller. Born in Wiltshire, she was the daughter of an English Civil War Parliamentarian Colonel, who was in turn the second son of the William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele. Celia Fiennes died in Hackney in 1741.-Pioneering Female Traveller:Fiennes never married...
, who hunted for Bristol Diamonds
Bristol Diamonds
Bristol Diamonds are not actually diamonds but quartz crystals found in geodes, geological rock formations which occur in dolomitic conglomerate found in the Avon Gorge in Bristol, England...
in the gorge. Despite this, Hotwells never attained the same status as Bath, and eventually the waters were found to be polluted. A new pump room was built in 1822, but eventually demolished in 1867 to allow for widening of the river Avon.
In 1799, the physician Thomas Beddoes
Thomas Beddoes
Thomas Beddoes , English physician and scientific writer, was born at Shifnal in Shropshire. He was a reforming practitioner and teacher of medicine, and an associate of leading scientific figures. Beddoes was a friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and, according to E. S...
opened the Pneumatic Institution
Pneumatic Institution
The Pneumatic Institution was a medical research facility in Bristol, England, in 1799–1802. It was established by physician and science writer Thomas Beddoes to study the medical effects of the gases that had recently been discovered...
in Dowry Square
Dowry Square
Dowry Square is in the Hotwells area of Bristol.It was laid out in 1727 by George Tully and building continued until 1750. The houses are three-storeyed with attics, simply detailed and with channelled pilasters to the party walls....
in Hotwells. Free treatment was advertised for those suffering from consumption, asthma, dropsy, "obstinate Venereal Complaints" and scrophula. The laboratory superintendant was Humphry Davy
Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet FRS MRIA was a British chemist and inventor. He is probably best remembered today for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals, as well as contributions to the discoveries of the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine...
, who investigated nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
, also known as laughing gas, using equipment designed by James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
. Under Davy's supervision laughing gas parties were held, attended by guests such as Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
, Thomas Wedgwood and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
.
In the 20th century much of the housing in Hotwells was in a poor state of repair, but since the 1970s there has been refurbishment of the older Georgian properties and new build of housing on derelict dockside wharves and gaps along the Hotwell Road.
Architecture
Grenville Chapel, a MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church, was opened in 1839 in a rather elaborate Early English Style building. For many years it was used as a garage and is now housing association
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
managed flats.
Hotwells includes several of Bristol's Grade II* listed buildings, including the Church of Holy Trinity
Church of Holy Trinity, Hotwells
Church of Holy Trinity is a church in Hotwells, Bristol, England.It was built in 1829 by Charles Robert Cockerell with an interior by T Burrough and consecrated on 10 November 1830....
, designed by Cockrell, and the whole of Albemarle Row, a Georgian terrace. Also listed is the Pump House
Pump House, Bristol
The Pump House is an historic public house situated in Hotwells on Bristol Harbour, Bristol, England.It was built around 1870 by Thomas Howard as a Hydraulic Pumping House to provide power to the bridges and machines of Bristol Harbour. It was replaced by the current Hydraulic engine house in the...
, formerly the power plant for 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...
's bridges and other machinery, now a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
.
Cultural references
Hotwells features in two 18th century novels. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, by Tobias SmollettTobias Smollett
Tobias George Smollett was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for his picaresque novels, such as The Adventures of Roderick Random and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle , which influenced later novelists such as Charles Dickens.-Life:Smollett was born at Dalquhurn, now part of Renton,...
has scenes set at the spa. Fanny Burney
Fanny Burney
Frances Burney , also known as Fanny Burney and, after her marriage, as Madame d’Arblay, was an English novelist, diarist and playwright. She was born in Lynn Regis, now King’s Lynn, England, on 13 June 1752, to musical historian Dr Charles Burney and Mrs Esther Sleepe Burney...
's Evelina
Evelina
Evelina or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World is a novel written by English author Frances Burney and first published in 1778...
is partly set in Hotwells, as the eponymous heroine visits Bristol during its spa-town years.
Demographics
The 2001 UK CensusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
recorded Hotwells as two Super Output Area Lower Layers, 034A, the western part of Hotwells and 034C in the east. The latter layer included parts of Cliftonwood. The figures recorded in the two areas were broadly similar with 034A recording a population of 1,485, with about 58% being described as economically active, 17% students and 7% retired. 42% of homes were owner occupied. 50% of residents had university degrees or equivalent. 50% described themselves as Christian and 44% as having no religion. In 034C the figures were a population of 1,522 with about 66% being described as economically active, 12% students and 6.5% retired. 65% of homes were owner occupied. 55% of residents had university degrees or equivalent. 50% described themselves as Christian and 46% as having no religion. 1,438 persons in 034A were described as white, with 28 of mixed race, 19 Asian, 17 black and 18 Chinese. In 034C 1,374 were described as white, 33 of mixed race, 24 Asian, 24 black and 29 Chinese.
Education
The area is served by two schools, Hotwells Primary School and St George C of E Primary School. The latter has been under threat of closure by Bristol City Council, but is now to be re-evaluated in 2013. The nearest secondary schools are Ashton Park School, Cotham SchoolCotham School
Cotham School is a secondary school with academy status in Cotham, a suburb of Bristol, England.-History:Its predecessor was the Merchant Venturers School.Until the academic year 2000/01, Cotham was a Grammar School...
and Bristol Cathedral Choir School.
Transport
Hotwells has long had an important part to play in Bristol's transport infrastructure. Towards the end of the 19th century, the western end of the district was the location of a terminus of a Bristol TramwaysBristol Tramways
Bristol tramways were operated from 1875, when the Bristol Tramways Company was formed by Sir George White, until 1941 when a Luftwaffe bomb destroyed the power station.-History:...
route, Hotwells railway station
Hotwells railway station
Hotwells railway station, was a railway station situated in the suburb of Hotwells in Bristol, England. It was the original southern terminus of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier which ran to a station and pier at Avonmouth...
was the city terminus of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier
Severn Beach Line
The Severn Beach Line is a local railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary.Passenger trains run from Bristol...
line to Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, the lower terminus of the Clifton Rocks Railway
Clifton Rocks Railway
The Clifton Rocks Railway was an underground funicular railway in Bristol, linking Clifton at the top to Hotwells and Bristol Harbour at the bottom of the Avon Gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs. The upper station is close to Brunel's famous Clifton Suspension Bridge and is located...
, the Rownham Ferry which crossed the Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
to Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton is a small district in south west Bristol on the western boundary with North Somerset, lying within the Southville ward, approximately two miles from the city centre...
, the locks giving access to the Floating Harbour, and the landing stages used by passenger steamers. In the 1920s, the A4 Portway road
Portway, Bristol
The Portway is a trunk road, approximately long, which links central Bristol, England, with its port at Avonmouth. It is part of the A4 road, which was the primary east west highway in Southern England before the construction of the M4 motorway....
was driven through the Avon Gorge to provide better access from the city to Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The 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....
, in the process removing all signs of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier's station. Since the 1960s, the western end of Hotwells has been dominated by a flyover complex, which enables traffic from the city centre and the A4 Portway to cross the river and harbour entrance locks to access the south west side of the city.
Public transport links include buses serving Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
and Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
which pass through the area. There is also a ferry service to the city centre and 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...
.
Politics
Hotwells is part of the Bristol City Council ward of Clifton and has been represented by two Liberal DemocratLiberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
members since 1995. The Parliamentary constituency is Bristol West, the MP since 2005 is Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams (politician)
Stephen Roy Williams is a British Liberal Democrat politician who was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Bristol West in the 2005 general election, being re-elected with an increased majority in May 2010...
of the Liberal Democrats. Hotwells is represented in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
by the six MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
.
Community
Hotwells and Cliftonwood Community Association (HCCA), is a registered charity run by local volunteers which exists to improve the quality of life for those who live and work locally. For many years HCCA ran the Hope Centre, based in the Georgian listed building, Hope Chapel, which provided a base for community groups and offered a programme of arts events. The Hope Centre closed in 2001 following a loss of funding and the lease was surrendered to the owners, the Congregational FederationCongregational Federation
The Congregational Federation is a Federation of independent Congregational churches in England, Scotland and Wales....
.