A Visit to Bristol

Bristol Visit 2006

Report by member Roger Jackman

At 10.30am on Wednesday 22 February 2006, 33 hardy members braved the biting wind and gathered in front of the Bristol Hippodrome for a tour of the city, led by Alan Brimson. He explained that originally the River Frome ran through the middle of the city in an open stream with a drawbridge giving access to the other side. A photograph of the drawbridge was passed around and we could see the view that Kilvert would have had from the same spot with he river full of square rigged shipping right in the heart of the city. The river now runs underground and the centre of the road is a paved area with a vast modern sail sculpture and traffic whizzes past at speed.

Crossing to the other side and finding a quieter area, Alan read the first part of the diary entry for Thursday 4 June 1874 and showed us the site of the confectioner’s shop where Kilvert gave the child a bun. Moving on, we crossed Queens Square, a delightful large area of grass, surrounded by old Georgian buildings now used as offices but still with attractive fronts, much as Kilvert would have seen it. Continuing towards St Mary Redcliffe, we could see the red cliff from which that area gets its name. The cliff, no longer red but a dirty grey, is honeycombed with caves but not open to the public.

On arriving at Saint Mary’s, Alan read the entry for Thursday October Day 1874 in which it states that £1000 a year was spent for 45 years repairing the church. How much would that be today?& The Merchant Venturers of Bristol, many of whom lived in Redcliffe, particularly the Penn and Canynges families, financed this. The Merchant Venturers was a group of wealthy city merchants, much of whose money was derived from the slave trade. They co-operated with the city council to provide many of the city’s amenities, especially the purchase of the Downs, an area of open high ground to the north of the city. With our short guide leaflets and to the accompaniment of the organ and a small orchestra rehearsing, we spent half an hour looking around this magnificent building.

We made our way back to the docks via various well-known landmarks, one being the Granary, a very ornate red brick building which has had several changes of use over the years, including a stint as a jazz club where Acker Bilk honed his skills. In King Street, we saw a pub called the Llandrogger Trow where Defoe was introduced to Alexander Selkirk, the original Robinson Crusoe.

At the docks, we embarked on the Bacheera, a sightseeing boat with all-weather protection and heating which enabled us to get warm again while we had our picnic lunch. The hour and a half trip covered the whole of the floating harbour, so called because lock gates keep the water high and enables the boats in the harbour to float. An excellent guide gave us a commentary of all the many sights along the banks. Most of the warehouses have been converted into very expensive luxury accommodation. Saint Peter’s church, now a ruin after Hitler’s efforts, is kept as a memorial to the 1299 Bristolians killed in air raids; we also saw the SS Great Britain, the first iron built screw driven ship designed by Brunel. Two latecomers were picked up at the Cumberland basin, thanks to the wonders of radio communication, making us 35. At the far end of the docks, we had sight of Clifton Suspension Bridge and Alan read the entry for Thursday 10 December 1874. I thoroughly recommend the boat trip to anyone visiting Bristol with a couple of hours to spare.

We then made our way to College Green and while the less able waiting by the cathedral, the rest of us walked up Park Street and Great George Street as Kilvert did to the site of the Clergy Daughters’ School. We had permission to visit the gardens at the rear where Alan read the rest of the entry for Thursday 4 June 1874. Alas, the beech tree where Kilvert carved the initials, is no longer there. He finished by reading the entry for Friday 19 March 1875 and we all wondered what was said in the letter.

We then went to the top of the road, past Brandon Hill and the Cabot Tower and down to the cathedral. Armed again with the printed guides, we spent half an hour in the cathedral, which must have been a very special place to Kilvert as he was ordained there. Outside on College Green, Alan read the entry for Wednesday 23 October. In view of all the tower blocks and traffic, I wonder if Kilvert would still say ‘it is a grand city, I can breathe freely here’. Also mentioned in that reading was the Lord Mayor’s Chapel and Alan showed us the front of the building across the other side of the green. Originally part of a medieval hospital, it is now the property of the city, the only city in the land that owns a chapel. We were unable to see inside.

We made our way back towards the city centre via the back door of Colston Hall where the entry for Friday October 24 1873 was read. We then went through the covered market where Kilvert bought the flowers and so back to the hippodrome.

As well as the Kilvert references, we were given many insights into life in Bristol and saw many of the important and interesting buildings but I have only mentioned a few in this report. The two guides made the visit an excellent and fascinating day. The commentator on the boat, who also steered, obviously loved the waterfront and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the whole area, which made it a most interesting trip.

Although we apparently were on a long walk in Bristol, we were never more than half a mile from the city centre, thanks to Alan’s careful planning of the route. He had obviously done a great deal of preparation for this visit and his love for his native city showed by the excellent commentary he gave. Many thanks to him and to Jean for a memorable day.