![]() Broad Street, Bristol, and the church tower of St John-on-the-Wall | |
Maintained by | Bristol City Council |
---|---|
Location | Bristol, England |
Postal code | BS1 |
Coordinates | 51°27′23″N 2°35′48″W / 51.456313°N 2.596605°W |
North | Quay Street |
East | Wine Street |
South | High Street |
West | Corn Street |
Broad Street, together with Wine Street, High Street and Corn Street is one of the four cross streets which met at the Bristol High Cross, the heart of Bristol, England when it was a walled mediaeval town. From this crossroads Broad Street runs downhill approximately 190m north-westwards to St John's Gate, Bristol's only surviving city gate[1][2] Some nonsense
History
editBroad Street, together with Small Street with which it runs in parallel, has historically been a focus for legal and administrative activities. The Old Council House, on the corner of Corn Street, was the principal site of Bristol's local government from the year dot until 1952;
The Tolzey Court, which was linked with the last active Pie Poudre Court at Old Market, was held thrice weekly at the Mayor's Tolzey.[4][5]
St John's Gate
editThe Guildhall
editThe earliest recorded mention of the Guildhall is in 1313, when it was the scene of a furious confrontation between the burgesses of Bristol and the military from Bristol Castle following the appointment of officers by King Edward II who sought to control their privileges.[6] In the ensuing violence, twenty people were killed and several more injured; subsequently the King's Bailiffs were imprisoned and then driven out of town, and for two years after this a state of all-out rebellion existed between the people of Bristol and the King. In 1316 the town was besieged, surrendering after four days; the principal burgesses were imprisoned or sent to the Tower of London, and in December of that year the King granted a pardon in exchange for a fine of 4000 marks.[7]
From 1381 until the reign of Henry VIII, Bristol's civic archive was held in a wooden chest, under lock and key, in The Guildhall. This archive included records of wills, ordinances, customs, liberties and deeds; as a system of record-keeping this became somewhat disorganised over the two centuries it operated but nonetheless formed the basis of a bureaucratic culture using written proof rather than memory. The Chronicle in Ricart's Kalendar attempted to codify much of this.[8]
When William Worcestre surveyed Bristol in 1480,[9] he simply described The Guildhall as 'the public courthouse' where the mayor sat for sessions of the peace.[10] The mayor and sheriffs were elected in September each year in St George's Chapel, adjoining the Guildhall,[11] which Worcestre described thus: 'A spacious chapel in honour of St George, founded by Richard Spicer, famous merchant and burgess of the said town, about the time of King Edward III or King Richard II; and there is a most worthy fraternity of merchants and seafarers of Bristol attached to the said chapel'.[10]
A new front was built in advance of Queen Elizabeth I's visit in 1576.[12] She entered Bristol through St John's Gate.
Shakespeare's company played at the Guildhall in 1597; it is not certain whether the Bard himself performed, but his company was paid a fee of 30 shillings (£1.50).[13]
Judge Jeffreys held his Bloody Assize here in 1685, following the Monmouth Rebellion[14]
The Chapel of St George was demolished in 1843,[12] and the Guildhall rebuilt by R S Pope.[15] A judge described the result as 'the perfection of inconvenience',[12] and these lines were published expressing disappointment the new building:
They pulled down the old hall, because it was too small, And now they've built a new Guild Hall, which is no hall at all.[12]
The Guildhall was largely rebuilt in 1960 following fire damage caused by wartime bombing.[16]
Although originally separate, The Guildhall and The Assize Courts behind it on on Small Street came to be functionally one building.[15]
The County Court moved to Redcliffe in 2011, leaving the Guildhall empty.[17]
Albion Chambers
editGrand Hotel
editWhite Lion Hotel - earliest known example of an urban facade organised on classical principles[18]
St Ewen's
editThe church of St Ewen was the smallest in Bristol (its aisle was just 66 feet (20 m) long) and dated back to the 12th century. It had ceased to function as a church by 1787, and in 1790 its parish was united with that of Christ Church, just a few metres away across Broad Street; St Ewen's, which spent its last few years as an archive store, was demolished in 1791 and the site was built over when the Council House was rebuilt in 1828.[19][19]
Broad Street today
editThe Guildhall and Bank of England buildings are due to be converted into a spa hotel.[20]
Sites of interest
edit- St John's Gate, the last surviving city gate.[21]
- Facade of Edward Everard printing works
Listed buildings
editBroad Street has a wealth of listed buildings:
Number | Grade | Year listed | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1 | II | 1977 | 1, Broad Street[22] |
5 to 8 | II | 1977 | 5 to 8, Broad Street[23] |
9 to 11 | II | 1977 | Holbeck House[24] |
Albion Chambers | II | 1959 | Albion Chambers Albion Chambers and attached railings and gate[25] |
12 to 14 | I | 1959 | Former Bank of England[26] |
II* | 1977 | Guildhall[27] | |
22 to 26 | I | 1959 | 22-26, Broad Street[28] |
28 | II | 1977 | 28, Broad Street[29] |
I | 1959 | Church of St John the Baptist and St John's Gate[21] | |
35 | II | 1977 | Number 35 and attached railings[30] |
36 | II | 1994 | 36, Broad Street[31] |
37 and 38 | II* | 1959 | Former Everard's printing works[32] |
1, John Street | II | 1977 | 1, John Street[33] |
8, John Street | II | 1977 | Bank public house[34] |
12 to 17, John Street | II | 1977 | 12-17, John Street[35] |
41 | II* | 1959 | 41, Broad Street[36] |
II* | 1959 | Merchant Taylors' Hall[37] | |
1 Taylors Court | II | 1977 | 1, Taylors Court[38] |
2 Taylors Court | II | 1977 | 2, Taylors Court[39] |
5 Taylors Court | II | 1977 | Court House[40] |
43 | II | 1977 | 43, Broad Street[41] |
44 | II | 1977 | 44, Broad Street[42] |
49 and 50 | II | 1977 | 49 and 50, Broad Street[43] |
51 | II | 1977 | 51, Broad Street[44] |
52 to 53 | Unlisted building of merit | 52-53 Broad Street[45] | |
II | 1966 | The Grand Hotel[46] | |
59 and 61 | II | 1977 | 59 and 61, Broad Street[47] |
63 | II | 1977 | 63, Broad Street[48] |
II* | 1959 | Christ Church with St Ewen[49] |
Broad Street uses a clockwise-consecutive house numbering system, starting with No.1 at the southern end of the east side,[22] then running from south to north on the west side,[23][29] and finally continuing from north to south on the east side.[30][48]
Gallery
edit-
St Ewen's Church, with All Saints' tower behind.
References
editCitations
- ^ Manco, Jean (12 October 2007). "The Saxon Origins of Bristol". www.buildinghistory.org. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ Watts & Rahtz 1985, p. 16-17.
- ^ "The City Centre Framework - Old City - character statement and place plan" (PDF). Bristol City Council City Design Group. 2018. p. 4-6. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ Lewis, Samuel (1831). "A Topographical Dictionary of England". Google Books. S Lewis and Co. p. 263. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ S D Cole (1905). "Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 1905 Vol 28" (PDF). The Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society. p. 117. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ British Association (1875). Bristol and Its Environs: Historical, Descriptive, and Scientific. J Wright. p. 149.
- ^ John Evans (1824). A Chronological Outline of the History of Bristol, and the Stranger's Guide Through Its Streets and Neighbourhood. p. 74.
- ^ Fleming 2013, p. 41-42.
- ^ Fleming 2013, p. 16.
- ^ a b Fleming 2013, p. 165.
- ^ Bristoliensis (1815). "The Bristol Guide". Google Books. J Mathews. p. 150. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d Wells 1969, p. 38.
- ^ "Did Shakespeare visit Bristol in 1597?". BBC. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ Wells 1969, p. 37.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Guildhall (1282368)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "Guildhall Chambers, Broad Street, Bristol" (PDF). Cotswold Archaeology for The Trevor Osborne Property Group. p. 9-10. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Will this be Bristol's most exclusive venue?". Bristol 247. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Foyle 2004, p. 15.
- ^ a b "St Ewen City, Bristol". ChurchCrawler. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "Guildhall Hotel gets the go-ahead". Choice Locations. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist and St John's Gate (1202018)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ a b Historic England. "1, Broad Street (1204315)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ a b Historic England. "5 to 8, Broad Street (1202017)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Holbeck House (1281259)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Albion Chambers Albion Chambers and attached railings and gate (1202579)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Former Bank of England (1282404)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
guildhall
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Historic England. "22-26, Broad Street (1204340)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ a b Historic England. "28, Broad Street (1202018)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Number 35 and attached railings (1202018)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "36, Broad Street (1282405)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Former Everard's printing works (1281234)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "1, John Street (1355053)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Bank public house (1025260)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "12-17, John Street (1202320)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "41, Broad Street (1202019)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Merchant Taylors' Hall (1282105)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "1, Taylors Court (1202615)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "2, Taylors Court (1292579)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Court House (1209571)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "43, Broad Street (1281239)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "44, Broad Street (1282366)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "49 and 50, Broad Street (1204375)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "51, Broad Street (1202020)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "Conservation Area No.4 - City and Queen Square - Character Appraisal" (PDF). Bristol City Council. p. 34. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "The Grand Hotel (1202023)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "59 and 61, Broad Street (1204385)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ a b Historic England. "63, Broad Street (1202021)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Christ Church with St Ewen (1282367)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
Sources
- Fleming, Peter (2013). "Time, Space and Power in Later Medieval Bristol". University of the West of England Bristol.
- Watts, Lorna; Rahtz, Philip (1985). Mary-le-Port Bristol Excavations 1962/3. City of Bristol Museums and Art Gallery. p. 16-17. ISBN 0-900199-26-1.
- Wells, Charles (1969). Bristol's History. Reece Winstone. ISBN 0-900814-29-2.
- Foyle, Andrew (2004). Pevsner Architectural Guides: Bristol. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10442-1.