I recently indulged myself by buying a little piece of history. I've mentioned Samuel Loxton and featured and linked to his drawings before, often in the eminently browsable Loxton Collection albums that Bristol Libraries has on Flickr. So when I saw a Loxton drawing of Hotwells pop up on eBay, I decided to get myself a little treat.
I don't think there's any Loxton drawing that features the road I actually live in—it's not very visible from anywhere else, not being one of these Clifton terraces that's perched at the top of a hill, or anything like that, and it's invisible in most views of the area. However, this Loxton drawing, Hotwells, Looking across the river from near the Clifton Bridge station, is probably the closest near-miss I've seen.
I decided to wander out one morning and see if I could reproduce the picture, and also take a photo or two of what's now become of the Clifton Bridge Station, which is still just about discernible in places.
(Then on an even stranger whim I decided to check out a possible little cut-through from Cumberland Road to the harbourside I'd been eyeing up on my commute to work, so walked to Wapping Wharf for a croissant via this potential new route, but that bit's not quite as interesting...)
At the other end of the Clifton Bridge Railway Station is a little road bridge that I've crossed many times. It's nice to see, under the inevitable tagging, that it's called Clifton Bridge Overbridge, so the name of the old station does live on a little in reality, at least for Network Rail.
(The footbridge from earlier is called Rownham Hill Bridge on its little placard.)
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Hotwells railway Clifton Bridge Station Port Railway and Pier
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Text Recognition Tags: ATHIS BRIDGE IS: m 68.75ch CFTO RIDGE OVERBRIDO event of anvo dvebielns stikir a this brid VEFAIL AUTHORITY on 1793 533 592 Las possiple. The safety trains may bey cted. This bridge is owned by Network ATHIS BRIDGE IS: m 68.75ch CFTO RIDGE OVERBRIDO event of anvo dvebielns stikir a this brid VEFAIL AUTHORITY on 1793 533 592 Las possiple. The safety trains may bey cted. This bridge is owned by Network
The more I research it, the more I find that Hotwells had far better transport links back in Victorian and Edwardian times than it has today. Along with buses that went to more useful places than the City Centre, there were trams, the funicular up to Clifton, the landing stage for paddle steamer services and two railway stations all within easy walking distance of me.
Today I took a day off work as preparation for doing the bookkeeping for my tax return1, and took a wander along to the site of what would have been my nearest station, Hotwells (or Clifton, as it started out in life), nestled in the shadow of the suspension bridge, the Bristol terminus of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier.
From there I wandered down the Portway, following the original line, until I got to the area around Sneyd Park Junction, where the tunnel from the slightly later Clifton Extension Railway joined up with this originally-isolated BPR line. Then I headed up to Clifton through the "goat gully" at Walcombe Slade, seeing the few above-ground bits of evidence of the tunnel (which is still in regular use) along the way.
It was a lovely day, and a good walk, and it was interesting to daydream of the times when I could have walked a few minutes from my flat down to Dowry Parade, caught a short tram ride to Hotwells Stations, and then headed from there to Avonmouth, perhaps even to board a transatlantic passenger service. The completion of the Clifton Extension Railway that linked the Avonmouth station with Temple Meads made relatively direct transatlantic travel from London via Bristol possible, with passengers travelling up from Paddington to Temple Meads, on to Avonmouth on the Clifton Extension Railway and Port Railway and Pier line, then perhaps catching a Cambpell's paddle steamer—which sometimes acted as tenders for large steamers—to a larger ship that was headed out for Canada, say.
1 I've learned that the best approach is to take two days off and deliberately do something that's not my bookkeeping on the first day, as otherwise I just inevitably end up procrastinating and feeling guilty on the first day no matter what. I have an odd brain, but at least I'm learning strategies for dealing with its strange ways as I get older...
2 Information mostly gleaned from Colin Maggs' The Bristol Port Railway & Pier and the Clifton Extension Railway, The Oakwood Press, 1975.
I did not see hide nor hair of a single goat the entire time I was in the goat gully. I clearly need to spend a bit more time there.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Goat Gully Gully Walcombe Slade
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Text Recognition Tags: Goat news ... New Kashmir goats!!! Some new, young Kashmir goats have recently arrived in the Gully. They join our existing herd of two old Kashmir goats (the big white ones) and the four Bagot goats (the small brown and white ones). Please help us to help them settle into their new home by: Keeping your dog on a lead Not approaching them - Not feeding them. They have plenty of natural food - If you feed them they may become sick. Their job is to carry out vital conservation work by nibbling invasive scrub and bramble. By doing this they're helping to make space for rare plants like the Bristol onion and Bristol rock-cress to thrive. Both of these wild flowers grow nowhere else in the UK! www.avongorge.org.uk Goat news ... New Kashmir goats!!! Some new, young Kashmir goats have recently arrived in the Gully. They join our existing herd of two old Kashmir goats (the big white ones) and the four Bagot goats (the small brown and white ones). Please help us to help them settle into their new home by: Keeping your dog on a lead Not approaching them - Not feeding them. They have plenty of natural food - If you feed them they may become sick. Their job is to carry out vital conservation work by nibbling invasive scrub and bramble. By doing this they're helping to make space for rare plants like the Bristol onion and Bristol rock-cress to thrive. Both of these wild flowers grow nowhere else in the UK! www.avongorge.org.uk
18 Apr 2022
I didn't really set out with a theme of flowers and gardens in mind for this walk. I just fancied heading up to Clifton Village to get lunch. As it turned out, though, Spring was springing, so a minor theme emerged as I started off with the graveyard flowers of Hope Chapel and wandered up to see the beginnings of the new wildflower garden at Clifton Hill Meadow.
There's been some commotion on Nextdoor about the recent appearance of this sign. Lots of people who have been letting their dogs off their leads in the churchyard for decades have been rather up in arms. I'm not sure there's actually much danger of the rozzers issuing ASBOs or fines to the locals for that kind of infraction, though.
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Text Recognition Tags: ㅅ Keep dogs on leads and clean up after your dog Notice of a public spaces protection order (PSPO)- All dogs must be held on leads and it is an offence not to clean up after your dog Anti-Social Behaviour Crime And Policing Act 2014, Section 59Notice is hereby given that Bristol City Council (the Council) in exercise of its powers under Section 59, 63 and 72 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 The Act, being satisfied that the conditions set out in section 59 of the Act have been met, made the following Onder City Of Bristol (Dog Control) Public Spaces Protection Order 2020. A Fored Penalty Notice may be issued to a person who a comitable or authorised person has reason to believe has committed an offence in relation to this One offering the person to whom it is issued the opportunity of dischinging any lability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fiend penalty Scene dog fouling provisions and the Exclusion Zones de not app assistance dogs Further information about the PSPO and the front of the Onder can be found at Public Space Protection (PSPO)-bristol.gov.uk ㅅ Keep dogs on leads and clean up after your dog Notice of a public spaces protection order ( PSPO ) All dogs must be held on leads and it is an offence not to clean up after your dog Anti - Social Behaviour Crime And Policing Act 2014 , Section 59Notice is hereby given that Bristol City Council ( the Council ) in exercise of its powers under Section 59 , 63 and 72 of the Anti - social Behaviour , Crime and Policing Act 2014 The Act , being satisfied that the conditions set out in section 59 of the Act have been met , made the following Onder City Of Bristol ( Dog Control ) Public Spaces Protection Order 2020 . A Fored Penalty Notice may be issued to a person who a comitable or authorised person has reason to believe has committed an offence in relation to this One offering the person to whom it is issued the opportunity of dischinging any lability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fiend penalty Scene dog fouling provisions and the Exclusion Zones de not app assistance dogs Further information about the PSPO and the front of the Onder can be found at Public Space Protection ( PSPO ) -bristol.gov.uk
From the window of the community bookshop. A book I'm vaguely thinking of writing involves the Tarot, and I'm a little tempted to go on this.
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Text Recognition Tags: Dublum Filwind Tickets £10, available on Eventbrite or on the door XIXS Tarot Study Group At the Clifton Community Bookshop 10 Clifton Road, Bristol, BS8-1AF First Wednesday of every month 6:00-7:30pm 5 Ja 6 April-4 May - 1 June rch Join us to share your ideas and develop your understanding of the imagery of the Rider- Waite-Smith Tarot. You do not need to own or bring a Tarot deck to participate (though if you have a Rider-Waite-Smith deck please bring it along). Aly You do not need to have any previous experience, expertise or understanding of the cards just imagination, Interest, and willingness to exercise your intuition. 25 per evening, including a small token and a chance to win a Tarot-related book For more information please contact tarotstudy@pobroadband.co.uk THE THE SUN Dublum Filwind Tickets £ 10 , available on Eventbrite or on the door XIXS Tarot Study Group At the Clifton Community Bookshop 10 Clifton Road , Bristol , BS8-1AF First Wednesday of every month 6 : 00-7 : 30pm 5 Ja 6 April - 4 May - 1 June rch Join us to share your ideas and develop your understanding of the imagery of the Rider Waite - Smith Tarot . You do not need to own or bring a Tarot deck to participate ( though if you have a Rider - Waite - Smith deck please bring it along ) . Aly You do not need to have any previous experience , expertise or understanding of the cards just imagination , Interest , and willingness to exercise your intuition . 25 per evening , including a small token and a chance to win a Tarot - related book For more information please contact tarotstudy@pobroadband.co.uk THE THE SUN
19 Aug 2023
It's been a long while since I did one of these walks.
I'm thinking of finishing up the project by walking one or two last bits of road, thus being able to declare with all honesty that I've done my best to walk every public road within my mile (and quite a few alleyways besides.) As a prelude, and just because I felt like it, I decided to drag out the camera and GPS on this little wander to the local shops.
More notices, including a couple of newcomers to the local businesses: Hopewell, an estate agency, has opened up just down Hopechapel Hill in the place of The Landmark Practice (an environmental consultancy firm that seem to have moved out to Long Ashton) and HappyBack, who I'd noticed appearing down on the Hotwell Road a month or two ago.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton Village Hotwells Clifton
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Text Recognition Tags: SAVE JACOBS WELLS your We W ty WS Na à Order w a gratyf Lauan ya wld worldcat HERE THE PETI Cale wwwwww CHBUEC C www d Dabe 17 TANTO F www. 0-100 Your journey is our journey and we are here to help you every step of the way Wend fpwith vir Ourica apteert papper mating nything t neces or Sc ng vs Shack and petere p FM 2 yan unteers Needed 0/0 70-23 DAN HappyBack Find Ho D Highly experienced Physiotherapy. Osteopathy and H® Massage specialists, helping you to get your happy back! W Lifeskills Lifeskills Learning for Living Py Acad Marg back. people to join our amazing toomer volunteers Oxime ww We are your new neighbours! pelare a prsity independent state aguny tinging together every best o ort, medium Alongtam ss and mes for sale across the city ravis A NEW Ma # HOPEWELL Come and say hello at our new offic orated at Hope Chcel House Hone Chapel Hill BSB IND 0117 911 8663 CERED ww are acest (10-only) og for new SANT FREE PEER SUPPORT GROUP TUESDAYS ONLINE 6.30-8.30pm 24ury Facilitated by LGBTQIA people Safe, nonjudgemental, confidential space to discuss mental wellbeing with other LGSTOLA+people Trinity Lunch Club Thursdays 10am-3:30pm Morning Coffee Armchair Excises 3 Course Home Cooked Lunch CET ARTIN Quiz Activities Tea & Biscuits For more information Call 07458 300 210 or email tes@holytrinityhotwells.org Holy Trinity Church serving the communities of Hotwells, Cliftonwood, Saike Island, Harboursie holytrinityhotwells.org Alexander May Having a baby? 42- AU You and your birth partner weinstela Calm Births Hypnobirthing FREE TASTER SESSION, online with Dolanan Monday th September OXO 7.30pm P By placeb www.dealbws.com We are devastated by the fire at the Underfall Yard. fre The fee has destroyed the heart of the Yard where most of the boat building activity takes place and tenant's businesses and boats have. been ruined. Thankfully no one was killed and no on was injured, but a lot of people in the Underfall Yard community have been impacted our staff, our tenants, our volunteers and our neighbours on Avon Crescent and Nova Scotia Place. Our hearts are with them and we are supporting our tenants as best we can. P DARO l HIER UNDERFALL YARD TRUST The Underfall Yard Trust was formed i the 1990's to bring the Underfall Yard out of dereliction, to look after the historio buildings, to shine a light on Bristoll's engineering harbour heritage and to promote traditional marine skills. In light of the devastation at the Yard, those aims remain as relevant now as they were then, SE We absolutely are committed to rebuilding the Underfall Yard and continuing the charity's work, If you would like to support the Trust, please see our JustGiving page, scan the QR code or alternatively, there is a donation box located on the Café till. https://www.justgiving.com/theunderfallyardtrust SAVE JACOBS WELLS your We W ty WS Na à Order w a gratyf Lauan ya wld worldcat HERE THE PETI Cale wwwwww CHBUEC C www d Dabe 17 TANTO F www . 0-100 Your journey is our journey and we are here to help you every step of the way Wend fpwith vir Ourica apteert papper mating nything t neces or Sc ng vs Shack and petere p FM 2 yan unteers Needed 0/0 70-23 DAN HappyBack Find Ho D Highly experienced Physiotherapy . Osteopathy and H® Massage specialists , helping you to get your happy back ! W Lifeskills Lifeskills Learning for Living Py Acad Marg back . people to join our amazing toomer volunteers Oxime ww We are your new neighbours ! pelare a prsity independent state aguny tinging together every best o ort , medium Alongtam ss and mes for sale across the city ravis A NEW Ma # HOPEWELL Come and say hello at our new offic orated at Hope Chcel House Hone Chapel Hill BSB IND 0117 911 8663 CERED ww are acest ( 10 - only ) og for new SANT FREE PEER SUPPORT GROUP TUESDAYS ONLINE 6.30-8.30pm 24ury Facilitated by LGBTQIA people Safe , nonjudgemental , confidential space to discuss mental wellbeing with other LGSTOLA + people Trinity Lunch Club Thursdays 10 am-3:30pm Morning Coffee Armchair Excises 3 Course Home Cooked Lunch CET ARTIN Quiz Activities Tea & Biscuits For more information Call 07458 300 210 or email tes@holytrinityhotwells.org Holy Trinity Church serving the communities of Hotwells , Cliftonwood , Saike Island , Harboursie holytrinityhotwells.org Alexander May Having a baby ? 42 AU You and your birth partner weinstela Calm Births Hypnobirthing FREE TASTER SESSION , online with Dolanan Monday th September OXO 7.30pm P By placeb www.dealbws.com We are devastated by the fire at the Underfall Yard . fre The fee has destroyed the heart of the Yard where most of the boat building activity takes place and tenant's businesses and boats have . been ruined . Thankfully no one was killed and no on was injured , but a lot of people in the Underfall Yard community have been impacted our staff , our tenants , our volunteers and our neighbours on Avon Crescent and Nova Scotia Place . Our hearts are with them and we are supporting our tenants as best we can . P DARO l HIER UNDERFALL YARD TRUST The Underfall Yard Trust was formed i the 1990's to bring the Underfall Yard out of dereliction , to look after the historio buildings , to shine a light on Bristoll's engineering harbour heritage and to promote traditional marine skills . In light of the devastation at the Yard , those aims remain as relevant now as they were then , SE We absolutely are committed to rebuilding the Underfall Yard and continuing the charity's work , If you would like to support the Trust , please see our JustGiving page , scan the QR code or alternatively , there is a donation box located on the Café till . https://www.justgiving.com/theunderfallyardtrust
14 Mar 2021
An enormous walk today, or at least it felt enormous. My feet are sore, anyway. I started off recreating a couple of local historical photos in Hotwells, but then headed for my traditional walk along the towpath in the Avon Gorge to the far extreme of Leigh Woods, up and through the woods to the height of the Suspension Bridge, finally crossing into Clifton Village for a well-deserved vanilla latte.
I say "traditional" because this used to be a very regular route for me, first walking, years and years ago, and later jogging—this route combined with a circuit of the Downs on the other side used to be my way of making sure I was fit to do a half-marathon (I did six of them in total, between 2010 and 2014).
I miss the routine of this walk, even though it's a long way and it used to pretty much wipe me out when I did it—I'd come back home and collapse and do very little for the rest of the day. But perhaps that's what Sundays are for, and I should try to remember that.
Doing this walk regularly was quite a meditative experience. Not so much of that today, but once I got to the further extreme of the towpath, where the roar of the Portway traffic on the other side of the river dwindles and I turned into Leigh Woods to climb ever closer to birdsong and further from rushing cars, I did seem to recapture a little of the feeling of previous walks. (I would say my mind cleared, but I was mentally singing along to Life Without Buildings' The Leanover for most of the wander. There are worse songs to have stuck in one's head, though; it's a great track...)
Anyway. Apparently the walk made me more likely to ramble in words, too. I'll stop now :)
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Leigh Woods forest woods
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Text Recognition Tags: Clean up after your dog Welcome to Kay Leigh Woods Leigh Wsos hes sanetng ter eryone, whetwo much to eplon and lats ot wid to dhcover n foot ar hook, thare's A growing history This section of the bal is stoep and rocky and uneven. Yeu may whth to dnnt ing ing s Discover wildtu Paradioe Bottum Clean up after your dog Welcome to Kay Leigh Woods Leigh Wsos hes sanetng ter eryone, whetwo much to eplon and lats ot wid to dhcover n foot ar hook, thare's A growing history This section of the bal is stoep and rocky and uneven. Yeu may whth to dnnt ing ing s Discover wildtu Paradioe Bottum