The Centre, Bristol
Encyclopedia
The Centre is a partially pedestrianised public open space in the central area
of Bristol
, England, created by covering over the River Frome
. The northern end of The Centre is a paved area circuited by Colston Avenue; the southern end is separated from this by a major road junction and is a larger paved area bounded by St Augustine’s Parade to the west, Broad Quay the east, and St Augustine's Reach (part of the Floating Harbour) to the south. The Centre is managed by Bristol City Council.
The name 'The Centre' (or 'The City Centre') appears to have been applied to the area from the mid-twentieth century; in the first half of the twentieth century it was known as the Tramways Centre, and before the Tramways Centre island was built it was known as 'The Drawbridge'.
The Centre is not the historic or civic
centre of Bristol, nor is it the major shopping area. It is however an important local transport interchange and meeting place. Many local bus services
terminate at or pass through here, and it is also served by ferry services to Hotwells
and Temple Meads station, and has busy taxi ranks.
The Centre has been altered on a number of occasions, originally to ease traffic flow but latterly to try to strike a balance between its use as both public open space and an important traffic corridor. Proposals are currently being developed for another remodelling.
.
This channel, St Augustine’s Reach, became the heart of Bristol Docks. As trade flourished and ships became larger the docks expanded, but the completion of the Floating Harbour in 1809, and the building of docks at Avonmouth
and Portishead made the wharves at the northern end of St Augustine’s Reach increasingly marginal.
The northern end of St Augustine’s Reach was narrower and accessed by opening The Drawbridge, which crossed the docks at the end of Clare Street (where present-day Baldwin Street was built in 1881). The Drawbridge was rebuilt for the fourth and final time in 1868, but by 1893 when it was replaced by a fixed structure it had been a source of "great congestion" to traffic (including the new trams) for many years, often being left open for twenty minutes while ships were roped up.
This is now the site of Bristol’s Cenotaph. Unveiled in 1932, The Cenotaph continues to be the focus of local remembrance
.
was expanded and electrified. In 1895 the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company (BT&CC) moved their head office to premises at 1-3 St Augustine's Parade (where they remained until 1970). The need for a central interchange was recognised and to this end a large triangular traffic island, later nicknamed 'Skivvy's Island' because of its use by domestic servants, was built between the BT&CC offices and St Augustine’s Bridge. The Tramways Centre became the most important of the BT&CC's three central termini, serving more routes than the others at Bristol Bridge
and Old Market
. It was the terminus for trams from the north and east of the city, and trams from Hotwells
to Temple Meads and Brislington
also stopped here. Passengers could straightforwardly alight from one tram and board another to continue their journey without the need to cross roads. A large three-faced ornamental clock was fixed high on the Tramways offices, and 'under the clock on The Centre' became a popular meeting place.
J.B Preistley visited Bristol in 1933, and described The Centre as 'a place where trams and coastal steamers seemed in danger of collision'.
Buses first started to use the Tramways Centre in 1910, initially only on the route to Clifton
. By 1913, ten bus routes started from The Centre. In 1938 and 1939 the tram routes serving the Tramways Centre were replaced by buses, so that trams ceased to use the island. Trams elsewhere in the city ceased completely in 1941.
covering the area between St Augustine’s Bridge and the southern end of Broad Quay. This created a route for the Inner Circuit Road, which had already bisected Queen Square
, to continue northwards. Construction continued despite the outbreak of war. A large elongated roundabout was formed, with the central space initially being used as a car park. The Tramways Centre island was reshaped, and was no longer used as a transport interchange.
After the war the central space was planted with lawns, ornamental borders and golden Irish yews and became known as the Centre Gardens.
and The Centre, and by the 1990s tentative steps were being taken towards downgrading this part of the road and transferring traffic along less sensitive routes. By the mid-1990s, the road across Queen Square had been closed and plans were being developed to rebalance The Centre in favour of pedestrians and public transport.
Bristol City Council launched a consultation exercise in 1996, in which the public were asked to choose between a ‘Dock Option’ (reopening the old harbour as far as St Augustine’s Bridge) and a cheaper ‘Promenade Option’. Both options involved closing the road across Quay Head; the Promenade Option used the new space to create a larger pedestrianised area in place of the Centre Gardens, with fountains, a cascade leading down to the waterside, and a sail structure to evoke Bristol’s maritime past. The remaining road space in both options would be designed to give greater priority to public transport.
The Council decided to build the ‘Promenade Option’. This soon came under criticism for its poor safety, particularly after a number of pedestrians were injured by vehicles and at least two people struck by buses and killed. The new design was also criticised for its traffic noise and fumes, "dribbling" fountains, poor traffic flow, poor cycling infrastructure, and delays to public transport. Few were happy with the new design, and many were disappointed that the 'Dock Option' had not been pursued.
The area around the pedestrian crossing at the Baldwin Street end of Broad Quay was altered in 2003 after the Bristol Coroner called for improvements.
Despite remedial work in 2007, the sail structure was found to be unsafe and removed in 2009.
In 2011 plans were again being developed for major changes to The Centre. These plans include the possibility of prohibiting private vehicles from crossing The Centre on the east-west axis, as mooted in the 1996 consultation.
(1894) and Edward Colston
(1895). St Mary on the Quay
stands on Colston Avenue to the west of the park, and St Stephen’s Church
stands nearby to the east.
The southern end of The Centre (the Centre Promenade) has a lead statue of Neptune
, moved to The Centre from Temple Street in 1949, and a modern water feature with fountains. Another water feature, this one stepped, leads down to a ferry landing stage at the current head of St Augustine’s Reach. There is a busy taxi rank opposite the end of Baldwin Street.
The Hippodrome
stands to the west of the Centre Promenade on St Augustine’s Parade. Further north is the Colston Tower
and just west of this on Colston Street is the Colston Hall
.
On Broad Quay, the former head office tower of the Bristol and West Building Society has recently been refurbished as a hotel and serviced flats.
Bristol 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...
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...
, England, created by covering over the River Frome
River Frome, Bristol
The River Frome is a river, approximately long, which rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, and flows in a south westerly direction through Bristol, joining the former course of the river Avon in Bristol's Floating Harbour. The mean flow at Frenchay is The name Frome is shared with...
. The northern end of The Centre is a paved area circuited by Colston Avenue; the southern end is separated from this by a major road junction and is a larger paved area bounded by St Augustine’s Parade to the west, Broad Quay the east, and St Augustine's Reach (part of the Floating Harbour) to the south. The Centre is managed by Bristol City Council.
The name 'The Centre' (or 'The City Centre') appears to have been applied to the area from the mid-twentieth century; in the first half of the twentieth century it was known as the Tramways Centre, and before the Tramways Centre island was built it was known as 'The Drawbridge'.
The Centre is not the historic or civic
Council House, Bristol
The Council House has been the seat of local government in Bristol, England since 1956. It is situated on College Green, opposite the Cathedral and at the foot of Park Street in Bristol city centre . Throughout its history it has been home to Bristol city council.It was designed in the 1930s but...
centre of Bristol, nor is it the major shopping area. It is however an important local transport interchange and meeting place. Many local bus services
Buses in Bristol
Buses in Bristol are the main form of public transport in Bristol, England. Most bus services are operated by First Bristol within the city, and First Somerset & Avon from the city to surrounding areas. Wessex Connect has a growing number of mainly council supported services...
terminate at or pass through here, and it is also served by ferry services to Hotwells
Hotwells
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...
and Temple Meads station, and has busy taxi ranks.
The Centre has been altered on a number of occasions, originally to ease traffic flow but latterly to try to strike a balance between its use as both public open space and an important traffic corridor. Proposals are currently being developed for another remodelling.
Before the culvert
The Centre owes its form to the channel dug in the 1420s to provide additional quays and wharves for the burgeoning Bristol DocksBristol 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...
.
This channel, St Augustine’s Reach, became the heart of Bristol Docks. As trade flourished and ships became larger the docks expanded, but the completion of the Floating Harbour in 1809, and the building of docks at Avonmouth
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....
and Portishead made the wharves at the northern end of St Augustine’s Reach increasingly marginal.
The northern end of St Augustine’s Reach was narrower and accessed by opening The Drawbridge, which crossed the docks at the end of Clare Street (where present-day Baldwin Street was built in 1881). The Drawbridge was rebuilt for the fourth and final time in 1868, but by 1893 when it was replaced by a fixed structure it had been a source of "great congestion" to traffic (including the new trams) for many years, often being left open for twenty minutes while ships were roped up.
Magpie Park
In 1892 the elegant stone structure of St Augustine’s Bridge replaced The Drawbridge, the docks to the north were covered over and Colston Avenue was built. The new area was known as Magpie Park, after the Bristol Magpie newspaper whose offices were on the west side of Colston Avenue. The Bristol Industrial and Fine Arts Exhibition was held here in 1893; a popular attraction which saw 500,000 attendees and raised £2200 for charity.This is now the site of Bristol’s Cenotaph. Unveiled in 1932, The Cenotaph continues to be the focus of local remembrance
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
.
Tramways Centre
During the 1890s Bristol's tramway systemBristol 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:...
was expanded and electrified. In 1895 the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company (BT&CC) moved their head office to premises at 1-3 St Augustine's Parade (where they remained until 1970). The need for a central interchange was recognised and to this end a large triangular traffic island, later nicknamed 'Skivvy's Island' because of its use by domestic servants, was built between the BT&CC offices and St Augustine’s Bridge. The Tramways Centre became the most important of the BT&CC's three central termini, serving more routes than the others at Bristol Bridge
Bristol Bridge
Bristol Bridge is an old bridge over the floating harbour in Bristol, England, the original course of the River Avon.-History:Bristol's name is derived from the Saxon 'Brigstowe' or 'place of the bridge', but it is unclear when the first bridge over the Avon was built. The Avon has the 2nd highest...
and Old Market
Old Market, Bristol
Old Market is a Conservation Area of national significance, to the east of the city centre in Bristol, England. Old Market Street and West Street form the central axis of the area, which is approximately bounded by New Street and Lawfords Gate to the north, Trinity Road and Trinity Street to the...
. It was the terminus for trams from the north and east of the city, and trams from Hotwells
Hotwells
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...
to Temple Meads and Brislington
Brislington
Brislington is an area in the south east of the city of Bristol, England. It is on the edge of Bristol and from Bath. The Brislington Brook runs through the area in the woodlands of Nightingale Valley...
also stopped here. Passengers could straightforwardly alight from one tram and board another to continue their journey without the need to cross roads. A large three-faced ornamental clock was fixed high on the Tramways offices, and 'under the clock on The Centre' became a popular meeting place.
J.B Preistley visited Bristol in 1933, and described The Centre as 'a place where trams and coastal steamers seemed in danger of collision'.
Buses first started to use the Tramways Centre in 1910, initially only on the route to 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...
. By 1913, ten bus routes started from The Centre. In 1938 and 1939 the tram routes serving the Tramways Centre were replaced by buses, so that trams ceased to use the island. Trams elsewhere in the city ceased completely in 1941.
Inner Circuit Road
In 1938 construction started on a culvertCulvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
covering the area between St Augustine’s Bridge and the southern end of Broad Quay. This created a route for the Inner Circuit Road, which had already bisected Queen Square
Queen Square, Bristol
Queen Square is a garden square in the centre of Bristol, England. It was originally a fashionable residential address, but now most of the buildings are in office use....
, to continue northwards. Construction continued despite the outbreak of war. A large elongated roundabout was formed, with the central space initially being used as a car park. The Tramways Centre island was reshaped, and was no longer used as a transport interchange.
After the war the central space was planted with lawns, ornamental borders and golden Irish yews and became known as the Centre Gardens.
1957 remodelling
The Inner Circuit Road was extended northwards into Colston Avenue in 1957-58. The Tramways Centre island was removed and the Centre Gardens island was extended to a point near the end of St Stephen’s Street. Magpie Park was reduced in length, Colston Avenue was widened and many of the (by then) mature plane trees were felled.1998 remodelling
It had been recognised since the 1960s that the southern half of the Inner Circuit Road had badly impacted the amenity of Queen SquareQueen Square, Bristol
Queen Square is a garden square in the centre of Bristol, England. It was originally a fashionable residential address, but now most of the buildings are in office use....
and The Centre, and by the 1990s tentative steps were being taken towards downgrading this part of the road and transferring traffic along less sensitive routes. By the mid-1990s, the road across Queen Square had been closed and plans were being developed to rebalance The Centre in favour of pedestrians and public transport.
Bristol City Council launched a consultation exercise in 1996, in which the public were asked to choose between a ‘Dock Option’ (reopening the old harbour as far as St Augustine’s Bridge) and a cheaper ‘Promenade Option’. Both options involved closing the road across Quay Head; the Promenade Option used the new space to create a larger pedestrianised area in place of the Centre Gardens, with fountains, a cascade leading down to the waterside, and a sail structure to evoke Bristol’s maritime past. The remaining road space in both options would be designed to give greater priority to public transport.
The Council decided to build the ‘Promenade Option’. This soon came under criticism for its poor safety, particularly after a number of pedestrians were injured by vehicles and at least two people struck by buses and killed. The new design was also criticised for its traffic noise and fumes, "dribbling" fountains, poor traffic flow, poor cycling infrastructure, and delays to public transport. Few were happy with the new design, and many were disappointed that the 'Dock Option' had not been pursued.
The area around the pedestrian crossing at the Baldwin Street end of Broad Quay was altered in 2003 after the Bristol Coroner called for improvements.
Despite remedial work in 2007, the sail structure was found to be unsafe and removed in 2009.
In 2011 plans were again being developed for major changes to The Centre. These plans include the possibility of prohibiting private vehicles from crossing The Centre on the east-west axis, as mooted in the 1996 consultation.
Sites of interest
As well as the Cenotaph, Magpie Park has statues of Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
(1894) and Edward Colston
Edward Colston
Edward Colston was a Bristol-born English merchant and Member of Parliament. Much of his wealth, although used often for philanthropic purposes, was acquired through the trade and exploitation of slaves...
(1895). St Mary on the Quay
St Mary on the Quay
St. Mary on the Quay is a church in central Bristol, England.It was built between 1839 and 1843, by Richard Shackleton Pope, as a Catholic apostolic chapel for the Irvingite congregation, and is now a Roman Catholic church....
stands on Colston Avenue to the west of the park, and St Stephen’s Church
St Stephen's Church, Bristol
St Stephen's Church in St Stephens Avenue, is the parish church for the city of Bristol, England.It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.- History :...
stands nearby to the east.
The southern end of The Centre (the Centre Promenade) has a lead statue of Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
, moved to The Centre from Temple Street in 1949, and a modern water feature with fountains. Another water feature, this one stepped, leads down to a ferry landing stage at the current head of St Augustine’s Reach. There is a busy taxi rank opposite the end of Baldwin Street.
The Hippodrome
Bristol Hippodrome
The Bristol Hippodrome is a theatre in the centre of Bristol, England with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features West End theatre shows when they tour the UK as well regular visits by Welsh National Opera, and an annual pantomime.- History :The theatre was...
stands to the west of the Centre Promenade on St Augustine’s Parade. Further north is the Colston Tower
Colston Tower
Colston Tower is a high-rise building located on Colston Avenue, Bristol, England in the center of the city. The building was designed in 1961, but not completed until 1973. It rises 63 m and has 15 floors of offices. The building is named after Edward Colston.The clock was not added to the...
and just west of this on Colston Street is the Colston Hall
Colston Hall
The Colston Hall is a concert hall and grade II listed building situated on Colston Street, Bristol, England. A popular venue catering for a variety of different entertainers, it seats approximately 2,075 and provides licensed bars, a café and restaurant....
.
On Broad Quay, the former head office tower of the Bristol and West Building Society has recently been refurbished as a hotel and serviced flats.