The Old Town, Bristol

1 more image

I visited Queens square on my way to Redcliffe Church. We walked through the Old Town so we were surprised of the size of the square. It is a beautiful wide Georgian square that was built at the beginning of 18th century in popular of that era way with tree-lined walks.

There are benches to sit so we stopped for a while and we watched the houses around but also the statue of King William III in the middle of the square (pic 2). The statue was made in 1730 by Rysbrack but seriously damaged in world war II. It was repaired in 1948. We talked a bit with an old lady that told us that during summer period the people come here for several events or just lying on the grass…

In one of the oldest areas of Bristol. Originally known as Queene Street, and used to be the route north out of Bristol.

At the foot of the steps can be seen Tudor framed buildings, at the top are the Fosters Almhouses, next to The Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne (1490)

Nowadays, the buildings on either side of the steps offer retail therapy, and restaurants.

Some interesting places apeared to be a Turkish restaurant Sas, which features a belly dancer on certain nights and a cheap rice/noodle bar..eat in/take out

1 more image

The Queen Square is a public park in the centre of Bristol that dates back to beginning of the 18th Century. Much of the houses were destroyed in the Bristol Riots of 1831, and much of the greenery was destroyed in 1937 when some smart planner allowed the inner city ring road to pass diagonally across the square. Luckily, the road was removed in 2000 and now the square is again a peaceful green oasis the the centre of the town.

In the centre of the square there is an equestrian statue of William III erected in 1736 to signify the city's loyalty. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings, most of them from the 19th Century. Today many of them are converted into offices. On the southern side one of the houses stands at the place where the first American Consulate once stood - the first US consulate opened in the UK in 1792.

St Peter's church was bombed during the WWII and was left as a ruin to serve as a monument to the victims of war. The church has Saxon foundations and originates from the 12th century.

St. Peter's church is located in the middle of the Castle Park, located next to the Broadmead shopping centre and overlooking the Floating Harbour. The park was created after the WWII bombing destroyed most of the mediaeval buildings which stood here, including the Bristol Castle.

Unfortunately it seems that the Bristol City Council has decided to develop around one third of Castle Park into new shops, offices and residential accommodation. I think this is a shame since the park is one of the nicest green areas in Bristol.

OK, perhaps I have already presented enough churches on my Bristol pages. But it is interesting to see the different ways the churches sruvived the centuries. St. John the Baptist did not suffer the same fate of St. Peter or St. Mary Le Port which were almost destroyed during WWII. However, it had another enemy: City planners. Around this church, many ugly buildings were constructed, so that St. John the Baptist is hidden somewhere between them now.

Like St. Nicholas, it was built into the city's fortification, hence its nickname St. John on the Wall. The present church was built in the late 15th century, but there was already a church there in the early 12th century. The spire looks modern from far (some may even say as ugly as the office buildings...), but is indeed the only medieval spire remaining in Bristol.

Services are not held any longer in this church, at least not regularly. The church is in the hands of the Chuches Conservation Trust and is sometimes even open for visitors.

1 more image

This georgian Square is one of the most central places in Bristol. Although College Green, St. Augustine's Parade and @Bristol have attracted many visitors, Queen's Square remains to be a lively place. Many events, such as open air Shakespeare plays or markets, take place here. On the day I visited Bristol, there was a market of french products - including take-away hot meals.

Queens Square was built in 1727 and was a popular adress for companies invloved in overseas business, especially slave trading. Queens Square and its buildings were damaged several times by floods and riots. That and the smelly harbour mdae the companies move away to Clifton.

Although it is named Queen's Square, you will find the statue of a king, William II, on its center...

Close to Bristol Brige, you will find many churches in Bristol's old town. Some of them were destroyed and left as a mounment, some of them are not in use anymore. One of the churches I saw was St. Nicholas, which is the closest one to the bridge. St. Nicholas is a medieval church with its crypt dating from the 13th century. Like many other churches, it was rebuilt and altered several times during the centuries, especially after rebuilding of Bristol bridge which made a partly destruction of the church necessary. The final fate of St. Nicholas was sealed during the german bombing of 1940. On Novembner 25th, the inner of the church burnt out. It lasted over 30 years until rebuilding was completed. The church was never used as a church again, but opened in the early 1970s as an ecclestial museum. Later, it was used by the tourist office and in 2000 Bristol Archeology Services moved in. The crypt is not in accesible for visitors anymore, but a walk around the church is also nice. St. Nicholas church has also given its name to a popular market which takes place nearby.

1 more image

The church of All Saints is one of Bristol's medieval churches, but it is - like some others - not in use any longer. It was already mentioned before the Norman Conquest, but was altered several times during the centuries. So, most parts now visible are from the 12th century or younger. The tower was built in the early 18th century, replacing an older structure. The mixture of style is visible from outside, while the interior is said to be predominantly perpendicular gothic. In the 1970s, the church was finally closed.

Today the church is used as a center for religious education. It is not open for public.