14 Dec 2020
The lunchtime walk has been feeling a bit of a chore lately, especially as I only have an hour and have to keep a mental watch out for my "bingo" point or risk being late back. Today I went for a deliberately brief local walk and got home in time to have lunch on my sofa rather than while I was back at work.
It's interesting filling in the gaps in my Clifton Village knowledge, especially starting to "see" the bits I can't see, the negative spaces. The size of both Fosseway Court and the Bishop's House gardens (check out the latter on Google Maps for an idea) are both something I've noticed by just getting to know the areas around them. I may also have to walk into the driveway of the very well-hidden Nuffield hospital to get an idea of how big it is.
None of those are anything compared to the trick of hiding the gargantuan public school that is Queen Elizabeth's Hospital so well that I keep on forgetting it's there, until a glimpse of it from somewhere like Lower Clifton Hill reminds me about it, of course...
I should have snapped more of the actual windows. Maybe later.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom cliftonwood Bellevue Crescent community noticeboard
Auto-Tags: Wood Fixture Rectangle Window Font Facade Door Brick Brickwork House Home door Building Art Display board Bulletin board
Text Recognition Tags: TimE T SEN e LIGm Un teECH LEV RAWE THE TEET T LE TimE T SEN e LIGm Un teECH LEV RAWE THE TEET T LE
10 Jan 2021
Went for a wander with my friend Lisa—the current lockdown rules seem to be that one local walk for exercise per day with a maximum of one person not in one's "bubble" is fine—up to the University of Bristol area right at the edge of my one-mile perimeter to see the Jeppe Hein Mirror Maze, among other things. On the way we mused about Merchant Venturers, the slave and tobacco trades, and dating in the time of Covid.
Not only is it an interesting clock per se, it also shows the right itme.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton Park Place Swantons Swantons Barbers Shop
Auto-Tags: Daytime Window Building Clock Sky Line Facade Fixture City Font Street Clock tower Signage Home accessories Monochrome
Text Recognition Tags: I| 12 In EMEM TIME 6. HAS GONE 8 FOR EVER 4 765 SNOLAWAT S I| 12 In EMEM TIME 6. HAS GONE 8 FOR EVER 4 765 SNOLAWAT S
06 Feb 2021
A lovely walk in the early spring sunshine with my friend Lisa. We headed directly for Jacobs Wells Road, to start off around the scene of one of our earlier walks, but this time took in Jacobs Wells from QEH upward, stopping to snap some photos of a Bear With Me, some interesting areas between Park Street and Brandon Hill including a peculiarly quiet enclave with a ruined old build I'd never found before, then crossed the Centre to grab take-away pies from Pieminister (I had the Heidi Pie) and head back to my place down the harbourside.
I'll have to tell my boss; he's from Transylvania (really.)
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton
Auto-Tags: Font Gas Building Signage Machine Advertising Graphics Logo Brand Room Door
Text Recognition Tags: OPENING TIME Friday Saturday Sunday épm i 10pm 12 noon / 10pm 12 noon / 10pm Garden Coktails Wine bar Draught Pizza f Transylvania Nightclub 申 a dancegtransytvanianightclub.co.uk 0742 759 7647 Clifton Elauor OPENING TIME Friday Saturday Sunday épm i 10pm 12 noon / 10pm 12 noon / 10pm Garden Coktails Wine bar Draught Pizza f Transylvania Nightclub 申 a dancegtransytvanianightclub.co.uk 0742 759 7647 Clifton Elauor
12 Mar 2021
I was browsing some historical photos the other day, and came across "Rear of Unspecified House" in the Bristol Archives' John Trelawny Ross collection, and immediately recognised it as being the back of 1 Albermarle Row, just around the corner from me. I've not had much time to research the history of this odd little addition to Albermarle Row, or what happened to 1-4 Cumberland Place, number 4 of which used to be attached to the side of 1 Albermarle Row, but it was interesting to look at old maps for a few minutes and work out what used to be where.
That all connects with the little local bit of land at Granby Green, too, as it used to be numbers 1-3 Cumberland Place. There was something of a planning battle over Granby Green, and I've included an old edition of Hotwells & Cliftonwood News that I found online, a copy of which would have been popped through my letterbox at the time.
I was also inspired by some old pictures of Hotwell Road to try to put a few more people in my pictures, though I set my pre-focus a couple of extra metres out from normal to make sure I didn't get too close to anyone!
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Hotwells Cumberland Place Granby Green
Auto-Tags: Tire Automotive tire Newspaper Publication Motor vehicle Tread Font Wheel Material property News Vehicle Automotive wheel system Advertising Tire care Screenshot
Text Recognition Tags: Decision time for new h&cca Open Space in Hotwells HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION A recent poll of the people who sion granted to Edward Ware Homes campaigned in vain to preserve makes it clear that the whole site must Granby Green has confirmed that be landscaped and maintained for a year most want the remaining piece of before adoption by the Council, The undeveloped land in Cumberland original plan for the garden was heavily Place, Hotwells retained as a pub- criticised by members of Friends of lic open space with local people Granby Green as over-complex and having a say in how it is developed 'institutional but FROGG members are reviewing revised proposals that were The consultation followed an approach produced last year. They are hopeful by solicitors to the developers Edward that a partnership can be established with the Council Parks Dept. to ensure the residual land they own to the Com that the site is managed in a way that munity Association. Most people who reflects local needs without it being a responded to a questionnaire did not major financial burden for the Commu- ed by and managed. Ware Homes with an offer to transfer see ownership of the space as impor- nity Association. tant but were concermed that it should The whole development has been the be protected from any future develop- subject of a number of planning breaches and consequent enforcement Part of the site intended for open space action by the Council, described as a 'nightmare by an offi- cer in the Planning De- Alkhough Granby Hill is now open to traffic, the planned improvements to the footpath and highway have not yet ment. is owned by Bristol City Council and there is a provision in the planning agreement for the developer's section to be transferred to partment. Bristol C.C. owmership as well. The offer of ownership of one part of the site to the CA taken place. If you want to be in- volved with the pro- posed garden or have any comment on the scheme contact Mike would not therefore overcome the prob lems of split ownership or guarantee the out- come that local people Timmins tel: 9291804 want. The planning permis- The s of the panned garden Granby Green -a short history This apace had cared for by local residents a an informal community garden from as far back as the 1970s unail a fance was erected by a develaper, to establiah a tde with the Land Ragistry in May 2002 Tha 4 day interruption to pubic access later proved to be a crudal factor in the IB legal battle to regster the space as Town Green which would have protected it from developmere, n renoved by a recent High pnenas of Graby Green) campagned to Ibeen regardiess of ownership (iroricaly. chis technical objection has now been Court rulng A support group of around 100 local people prevent the loss of the space and the group tced a professional legal team at a three day publik in In this edition: Community News Winning ideas - Meet Your Neighbour -6 Events & Activities - quiry At one point, Town Green satus wos con ferred by the Bristol CC Open Spaces committee but bear rescinded folawing thrests of legal action by the then ownieri, Etward Ware Homes. Local resident Mike Timmin has ggeed that the now smaler space below Walace Place, che new 4 block of Mats should be christened Gromit Gar. 7 dens Rey Smth Contacts 8 HOTWELLS&CLIFTONWOe Spring 2007 SM3N Published y Hetwells A CIenweed Cemmunity Aassetaten, Htepe Chapel, Hepe Chapel Hill, Hetwells, Brtatel. BSa 4ND Decision time for new h&cca Open Space in Hotwells HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION A recent poll of the people who sion granted to Edward Ware Homes campaigned in vain to preserve makes it clear that the whole site must Granby Green has confirmed that be landscaped and maintained for a year most want the remaining piece of before adoption by the Council, The undeveloped land in Cumberland original plan for the garden was heavily Place, Hotwells retained as a pub- criticised by members of Friends of lic open space with local people Granby Green as over-complex and having a say in how it is developed 'institutional but FROGG members are reviewing revised proposals that were The consultation followed an approach produced last year. They are hopeful by solicitors to the developers Edward that a partnership can be established with the Council Parks Dept. to ensure the residual land they own to the Com that the site is managed in a way that munity Association. Most people who reflects local needs without it being a responded to a questionnaire did not major financial burden for the Commu- ed by and managed. Ware Homes with an offer to transfer see ownership of the space as impor- nity Association. tant but were concermed that it should The whole development has been the be protected from any future develop- subject of a number of planning breaches and consequent enforcement Part of the site intended for open space action by the Council, described as a 'nightmare by an offi- cer in the Planning De- Alkhough Granby Hill is now open to traffic, the planned improvements to the footpath and highway have not yet ment. is owned by Bristol City Council and there is a provision in the planning agreement for the developer's section to be transferred to partment. Bristol C.C. owmership as well. The offer of ownership of one part of the site to the CA taken place. If you want to be in- volved with the pro- posed garden or have any comment on the scheme contact Mike would not therefore overcome the prob lems of split ownership or guarantee the out- come that local people Timmins tel: 9291804 want. The planning permis- The s of the panned garden Granby Green -a short history This apace had cared for by local residents a an informal community garden from as far back as the 1970s unail a fance was erected by a develaper, to establiah a tde with the Land Ragistry in May 2002 Tha 4 day interruption to pubic access later proved to be a crudal factor in the IB legal battle to regster the space as Town Green which would have protected it from developmere, n renoved by a recent High pnenas of Graby Green) campagned to Ibeen regardiess of ownership (iroricaly. chis technical objection has now been Court rulng A support group of around 100 local people prevent the loss of the space and the group tced a professional legal team at a three day publik in In this edition: Community News Winning ideas - Meet Your Neighbour -6 Events & Activities - quiry At one point, Town Green satus wos con ferred by the Bristol CC Open Spaces committee but bear rescinded folawing thrests of legal action by the then ownieri, Etward Ware Homes. Local resident Mike Timmin has ggeed that the now smaler space below Walace Place, che new 4 block of Mats should be christened Gromit Gar. 7 dens Rey Smth Contacts 8 HOTWELLS&CLIFTONWOe Spring 2007 SM3N Published y Hetwells A CIenweed Cemmunity Aassetaten, Htepe Chapel, Hepe Chapel Hill, Hetwells, Brtatel. BSa 4ND
I got interested in Bristol's medieval water supplies after poking around near Jacobs Wells Road and Brandon Hill. It was during that research I found out about a pipe that's still there today, and, as far as I know, still actually functioning, that was originally commissioned by Carmelite monks in the 13th century. They wanted a supply of spring water from Brandon Hill to their priory on the site of what's now the Bristol Beacon—Colston Hall, as-was. It was created around 1267, and later, in 1376, extended generously with an extra "feather" pipe to St John's On The Wall, giving the pipework its modern name of "St John's Conduit".
St John's on the Wall is still there, guarding the remaining city gate at the end of Broad Street, and the outlet tap area was recently refurbished. It doesn't run continuously now, like it did when I first moved to Bristol and worked at the end of Broad Street, in the Everard Building, but I believe the pipe still functions. One day I'd like to see that tap running...
There are a few links on the web about the pipe, but by far the best thing to do is to watch this short and fascinating 1970s TV documentary called The Hidden Source, which has some footage of the actual pipe and also lots of fantastic general footage of Bristol in the seventies.
On my walk today I was actually just going to the building society in town, but I decided to trace some of the route of the Carmelite pipe, including visiting streets it runs under, like Park Street, Christmas Street, and, of course, Pipe Lane. I also went a bit out of my way to check out St James' Priory, the oldest building in Bristol, seeing as it was just around the corner from the building society.
There are far too many pictures from this walk, and my feet are now quite sore, because it was a long one. But I enjoyed it.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom City Centre St John on the Wall St John's Church St. John's Conduit old city
Auto-Tags: Brown Wood Font Commemorative plaque History Interior design Rectangle Memorial Hardwood
Text Recognition Tags: STUOHNS CONDUIT GRANTED TO THE VESTRY OF S JOHN IN THE 14TH CENTURY THE SOARCE OB SOPPLY LS AT TEE FO O AK STREET WATER IS CONVEYED SY TER DIRE OROM THE CARMBLITE PRIORY CISTERN- DN THE COLSTON ALL SITE-TEROUGH 2OST STREET AND CHRISTNLAS STREET TO ST. JOHNS GATE T ORIGINAIEY STOOD ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE GATE BUT WS MOVED TO TS RESENI SITE IN L WHEN THE FOOTWAY ON THE BASTERN SIDE OR TASGATE WAS MADE AFTER THE SUPPRESSION OF THE KORASTEUIS THE INTIRE COST OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR CFTRE PIPE DEVOLVED UPON THE CHURCHWARDENS AND VESTRY SONETIAEN YAKINE HE WHOLE PARISH REVENJE BO AYBAR IN 1365 AFTER SEVERE DROUCHT THE DEEDS TOGETHER WITH THE RESPONSIBILTTY SOR UPKEBE WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE LOCAL BORRD OR EBALTH DURING THE AIR RAIDS OF 1940T WAS FOR A TIME THE SOLE WATER SAPPLYN THE FART OF THE CTY STUOHNS CONDUIT GRANTED TO THE VESTRY OF S JOHN IN THE 14TH CENTURY THE SOARCE OB SOPPLY LS AT TEE FO O AK STREET WATER IS CONVEYED SY TER DIRE OROM THE CARMBLITE PRIORY CISTERN- DN THE COLSTON ALL SITE-TEROUGH 2OST STREET AND CHRISTNLAS STREET TO ST. JOHNS GATE T ORIGINAIEY STOOD ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE GATE BUT WS MOVED TO TS RESENI SITE IN L WHEN THE FOOTWAY ON THE BASTERN SIDE OR TASGATE WAS MADE AFTER THE SUPPRESSION OF THE KORASTEUIS THE INTIRE COST OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR CFTRE PIPE DEVOLVED UPON THE CHURCHWARDENS AND VESTRY SONETIAEN YAKINE HE WHOLE PARISH REVENJE BO AYBAR IN 1365 AFTER SEVERE DROUCHT THE DEEDS TOGETHER WITH THE RESPONSIBILTTY SOR UPKEBE WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE LOCAL BORRD OR EBALTH DURING THE AIR RAIDS OF 1940T WAS FOR A TIME THE SOLE WATER SAPPLYN THE FART OF THE CTY
06 Apr 2021
I'd originally intended just to pop up to the area around Alma Road, where I'd missed a few streets on earlier wanders. It was such a nice evening, though, I decided to extend my walk up to the very top of Pembroke Road, just outside my one mile radius, to take a few snaps of something intriguing I'd found in my researches.
I've driven, walked and jogged past the little triangle of land at the top of Pembroke road a great deal in my time in Bristol, but I didn't know that it used to be the site of a gibbet, in fact that the road itself there used to be called Gallows Acre Lane. According to the Durdham Down history trail, by Francis Greenacre (an excellent name for a Downs researcher!) among other sources:
...it was below this quarry near the top of Pembroke Road, once called Gallows Acre Lane, that a gibbet stood. It was sometimes occupied by those who had committed robberies on the Downs and was last used in 1783 to hang Shenkin Protheroe for the murder of a drover. Stories quickly spread that he descended from the gibbet at midnight every night and stalked through Clifton. Such was the alarm that his body was cut down
and buried.
Also very close to this little triangle of land was one of the gates of the extensive turnpike system...
Anyway. Along the way I encountered a wooden tortoise and a real squirrel, among other things. It was a good walk, and more light in the evenings means I can move my wanders out of the ticking countdown clock of work lunch-hours and be a bit more leisurely.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton St Andrew's churchyard St Andrew's churchyard walk Lime Walk JRR Tolkein quote
Auto-Tags: Motor vehicle Fixture Font Gas Grass Sky Signage Metal Sign Street sign Composite material Rectangle Paint Public utility Road
Text Recognition Tags: Ali we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. J.R.R. TOLKIEN Ali we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. J.R.R. TOLKIEN
31 Jul 2021
At the end of July I went to have a look around some of the private gardens opened up by the annual Green Squares and Secret Gardens event. Sadly it was compressed into a single day this year, for various Covid-related reasons, it seems, so I didn't get to poke around too many places. I went to:
And snapped a few things in between, too. It was a lovely day—a bit too hot, if anything—and it was interesting to get into a few places I'd only ever seen from the outside, especially The Paragon and Cornwallis gardens, which are the least visible to passing strangers of all of them.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton Village Clifton Cornwallis Crescent Garden Clifton Open Garden Squares Green Squares and Secret Gardens open day Cornwallis Crescent garden
Auto-Tags: Font Grass Wood Terrestrial plant Groundcover Grass family Plant Paper Commemorative plaque Rectangle Landscape Paper product Document Publication History
Text Recognition Tags: Cornwallis Crescent (West) G5SG - 31.07.2021 Welome-ease teel tree to wander round the garden and woodland Comwal Crescnta home to wel er 150 u. ng in 85 h holds cangng fromente huse to mesty sin oor tats-a larcry fron the originaly olanned 31 households Itnot at the demugraphi prute whch has changed, there na cane forsuggesting that the Crescent sureetly enjoyru a perod efunerecedemad ke, cae and attention fm the pret generation of reutents, Read o. The ongnal plan pronatly by AIta Pay as tor a mplete shullew cresmtol 4hes Work begat a1791, buc akeady the gret spetidative bukdng boo of the perkidwas beginnirg e colapie resaurs become scar, lons had to ome by as finwnciers and buiders were edered boninatnd the debide wan completed wiiti the decteration of war wth France in Bding work vtopped with i tal houne in vanous states of complenn The area inust have arpeaet etroordinary to ute hom this ommentaryof R07 1do noe ecalect mone melhoy oectace westem enros of ms citwamot avofuts are so none than a wok oea d dou t gh tre sent and folng nouses n andesd Theraher meal, with loass on unfinished hauses stit beng gramed an l The Cressent then proably enjoved a hart heydaythough Alan yder's briet testory shows that many f the houses had fong untannted periods dne thied of the houses in the wntern taif atood empty at the time of the I51 census for instance, and the stuation is itle better ty L89L with fiet of the twenty three houses untenarted ind a further thres inhabited only by cartaken The problem of coure was tht many of the buidings were owned hy sentee lindhordi-some of whom tad itle interest in mntaiing them let alone imeroving propress was pite them Nan goes on to show tw y the early twmtleth contury undatian hod beyan to rake to Ang with much of ctor the Cescnt was to beame by the middle of the cntury an anw d cheap maaned odgings reachng eadr in 136 tem he oty cdund proposed to demalah itin prer to bda block of huh-e Datir Comwalh Crescont survtaed-and gadualya nee gonration of residents mode the finsl uarter of the twentieth century perkod of rapid change and runewis for the Crescent. The widespread derekction so evident in the earker part of the oury was gradualy reversed an, house by house Hat ly fat the procs of restoration and renovation changed the Crescent boch inside and mut The Garden Hdden tehind the Crestent's buidings and thigh boundary wal, the gurden is aw a surpriee to wstars. it's the best part of an acre, faces dje south and is shettered from the north-making tideal for terder plants and sun warshippers alte It consists of three laur, two of witsch used to be terns courts and the woods whih slope steeply soun to the bundary wal on Polypon Lane. Our longmt-standing resident. Myrtle Way ememten ter beng played in the tne 1950, though less famaly, one imagines, than in 1906 when the Comwalts Tenni Clit wa fanned Cornwallis Crescent (West) G5SG - 31.07.2021 Welome-ease teel tree to wander round the garden and woodland Comwal Crescnta home to wel er 150 u. ng in 85 h holds cangng fromente huse to mesty sin oor tats-a larcry fron the originaly olanned 31 households Itnot at the demugraphi prute whch has changed, there na cane forsuggesting that the Crescent sureetly enjoyru a perod efunerecedemad ke, cae and attention fm the pret generation of reutents, Read o. The ongnal plan pronatly by AIta Pay as tor a mplete shullew cresmtol 4hes Work begat a1791, buc akeady the gret spetidative bukdng boo of the perkidwas beginnirg e colapie resaurs become scar, lons had to ome by as finwnciers and buiders were edered boninatnd the debide wan completed wiiti the decteration of war wth France in Bding work vtopped with i tal houne in vanous states of complenn The area inust have arpeaet etroordinary to ute hom this ommentaryof R07 1do noe ecalect mone melhoy oectace westem enros of ms citwamot avofuts are so none than a wok oea d dou t gh tre sent and folng nouses n andesd Theraher meal, with loass on unfinished hauses stit beng gramed an l The Cressent then proably enjoved a hart heydaythough Alan yder's briet testory shows that many f the houses had fong untannted periods dne thied of the houses in the wntern taif atood empty at the time of the I51 census for instance, and the stuation is itle better ty L89L with fiet of the twenty three houses untenarted ind a further thres inhabited only by cartaken The problem of coure was tht many of the buidings were owned hy sentee lindhordi-some of whom tad itle interest in mntaiing them let alone imeroving propress was pite them Nan goes on to show tw y the early twmtleth contury undatian hod beyan to rake to Ang with much of ctor the Cescnt was to beame by the middle of the cntury an anw d cheap maaned odgings reachng eadr in 136 tem he oty cdund proposed to demalah itin prer to bda block of huh-e Datir Comwalh Crescont survtaed-and gadualya nee gonration of residents mode the finsl uarter of the twentieth century perkod of rapid change and runewis for the Crescent. The widespread derekction so evident in the earker part of the oury was gradualy reversed an, house by house Hat ly fat the procs of restoration and renovation changed the Crescent boch inside and mut The Garden Hdden tehind the Crestent's buidings and thigh boundary wal, the gurden is aw a surpriee to wstars. it's the best part of an acre, faces dje south and is shettered from the north-making tideal for terder plants and sun warshippers alte It consists of three laur, two of witsch used to be terns courts and the woods whih slope steeply soun to the bundary wal on Polypon Lane. Our longmt-standing resident. Myrtle Way ememten ter beng played in the tne 1950, though less famaly, one imagines, than in 1906 when the Comwalts Tenni Clit wa fanned
I've been pretty awful at reading so far this year, apparently averaging about one book per month. That's a far cry from 2019, say, where I got through 41 books in the year. Today's wander was prompted by my rubbish reading, as I needed to go hand back some books to the library, because I'd managed to renew them so many times that I hit the limit on renewals. Oops. Several of them were still unread.
So, off to the Central Library for me, tail between my legs. On the way there I did my best to recreate a historical photo of Dowry Square; while I was in the area I walked under the adjacent Norman arch and poked around behind the Cathedral, and I also had a little diversion to the city centre and came back along the south side of the river, hitting some trouble with the lock gates as I finally crossed the harbour back towards home.
A bit more detail if you fancy it.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom City Centre Saint Nicholas Market St Nicholas Market St. Nicholas Market Corn Street old city
Auto-Tags: Wood Font Wall Landmark Commemorative plaque Tree History Signage Memorial Metal Public utility Interior design Kitchen utensil Idiophone
Text Recognition Tags: THE CORN EXCHANGE CLOCK The clock on this building with an extra minute hand recalls early Victorian days, when Bristol was in two minds about the correct time. Although today we take Greenwich Mean Time or British Summertime for granted before 1880 no standard time existed in the British Isles. Every city had its own local time, reckoned by the sun and signed by church bells. Bristol lies 2 degrees, 36 minutes west of the Greenwich Meridian and so the sun reaches its noon nearly peak 11 minutes later than in Greenwich. Before the growth of railways, most people expected to spend their lives close to home. Travel by stagecoach or ship was slow and uncomfortable. Timetables were vague. For Bristolians a change came in June 1841, when the first through train from London pulled into Temple Meads Station. Brunel's Great Western Railway began to tempt people to travel, now they could go to London in hours rather than days. The Railways ran on London time (Greenwich Mean Time). If you wanted to catch a train at noon from Temple Meads you had to remember that it would pull out at 11:49 Bristol Time. To help Bristolians catch their trains, Bristol Corporation arranged for the main public clock on the Corn Exchange to show both local and Greenwich Mean Time (Railway Time) with two minute hands. Other clocks in Bristol adopted the same compromise, In September 1852 Bristol adopted GMT and Bristol time became the same as Lond THE CORN EXCHANGE CLOCK The clock on this building with an extra minute hand recalls early Victorian days , when Bristol was in two minds about the correct time . Although today we take Greenwich Mean Time or British Summertime for granted before 1880 no standard time existed in the British Isles . Every city had its own local time , reckoned by the sun and signed by church bells . Bristol lies 2 degrees , 36 minutes west of the Greenwich Meridian and so the sun reaches its noon nearly peak 11 minutes later than in Greenwich . Before the growth of railways , most people expected to spend their lives close to home . Travel by stagecoach or ship was slow and uncomfortable . Timetables were vague . For Bristolians a change came in June 1841 , when the first through train from London pulled into Temple Meads Station . Brunel's Great Western Railway began to tempt people to travel , now they could go to London in hours rather than days . The Railways ran on London time ( Greenwich Mean Time ) . If you wanted to catch a train at noon from Temple Meads you had to remember that it would pull out at 11:49 Bristol Time . To help Bristolians catch their trains , Bristol Corporation arranged for the main public clock on the Corn Exchange to show both local and Greenwich Mean Time ( Railway Time ) with two minute hands . Other clocks in Bristol adopted the same compromise , In September 1852 Bristol adopted GMT and Bristol time became the same as Lond