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Bristol Archives

Archives in EnglandCity archivesCounty record offices in EnglandHistory of BristolLocal government in Bristol
Organisations based in BristolUse British English from July 2022
B Bond Warehouse in Bristol, housing of Bristol Record Office
B Bond Warehouse in Bristol, housing of Bristol Record Office

Bristol Archives (formerly Bristol Record Office) was established in 1924. It was the first borough record office in the United Kingdom, since at that time there was only one other local authority record office (Bedfordshire) in existence. It looks after the official archives of the City of Bristol, besides collecting and preserving many other records relating to the city and surrounding area for current and future generations to consult. It moved from the City Hall to newly converted premises in the former B Bond Warehouse in 1992. The office is formally recognised by the Lord Chancellor for holding public records, and it acts as a diocesan record office for the Diocese of Bristol. Major deposited collections include those of J. S. Fry & Sons, chocolate manufacturers, 1693–1966, and Imperial Brands (formerly W.D. & H.O. Wills, tobacco manufacturers), late 18th century – 20th century. However, for many years one of its best-known holdings was a single volume of judicial case papers bound in the actual skin of the 19th-century executed murderer John Horwood.Bristol Archives is part of Bristol Museums, along with Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, M Shed, Georgian House, Red Lodge, Blaise Castle, and Kings Weston Roman Villa. The core opening hours are Tuesday - Friday, 9:30am-4pm. In addition, on the first two Saturdays of the month, Bristol Archives is open 10am-4pm.Bristol Archives holds material related to the port of Bristol from the 13th century onwards. Further records are held by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bristol Archives (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bristol Archives
Smeaton Road, Bristol Hotwells

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N 51.4472 ° E -2.6226 °
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Bristol Archives

Smeaton Road
BS1 6XN Bristol, Hotwells
England, United Kingdom
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B Bond Warehouse in Bristol, housing of Bristol Record Office
B Bond Warehouse in Bristol, housing of Bristol Record Office
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Bristol International Exhibition

The Bristol International Exhibition was held on Ashton Meadows in the Bower Ashton area of Bristol, England in 1914. The exhibition which had been planned since 1912 was a commercial venture and not fully supported by the civic dignitaries of the city which caused difficulties raising the funds needed. Most of the construction of the venues was from wooden frames covered by plasterboard and occurred in just 2 months prior to opening. It opened on 28 May 1914 was closed on 6 June. Further funding was raised and the exhibition reopened, but continued to struggle with lower than expected attendance and, following several court hearings, finally closed on 15 August just after the outbreak of World War I. The site covered 30 acres (12 ha) next to the River Avon and was served by two railway stations. The venues included: an International Pavilion and a concert hall, a replica of Bristol Castle, a representation of "Old Plymouth" with a replica of the Revenge and the Dominions Pavilion. Other attractions included a Scenic Railway roller coaster and buildings representing "Shakespeare's England". The entire site was lit by electric lighting including the Pageant Ground which had a grandstand holding 4,000 people. After the premature closure of the exhibition the site was used, until 1919, as barracks for The Gloucestershire Regiment. Some buildings became warehouses after the troops left but all had been demolished before World War II when the site was again used for troops and then squatters housing. There are no structures on the site which is now used for allotments, a cricket club and the horse and dog section of Avon and Somerset Constabulary. In 2022 construction started on housing on part of the site.

B Bond Warehouse
B Bond Warehouse

B Bond Warehouse (grid reference ST570720) is a former bonded warehouse built to serve Bristol Harbour. Built in 1908, B Bond was the second of three warehouses constructed close to Cumberland Basin to meet the demands of the tobacco import boom of the early 20th century. A Bond was built in 1905 and C Bond in 1919. All three warehouses are Grade II listed buildings.B Bond was the first major building in Britain constructed using the reinforced concrete system pioneered by Edmond Coignet. It was built by Cowlins Construction. The open plan structure, which is nine storeys high and has an 18-window range, was created in two equal parts separated by central spine wall. In addition to the concrete structure, the warehouse was built using black bricks, patent red bricks and blue engineering bricks, with Pennant stone steps, terracotta details and a Welsh slate roof.In the 1990s it was still being used for the storage of wines and spirits. The building is now owned by Bristol City Council. The western half houses Bristol Archives (which holds the extensive archives of the city of Bristol) as well as other council offices. The brickwork of the exterior of the building was refurbished by John Perkins Construction using bricks which matched the originals.The eastern side is occupied by the CREATE Centre, which includes an energy-saving Ecohome designed by Bruges Tozer Architects. The CREATE Centre also houses several organisations working in sustainable development, including the city council's sustainability teams.In 2015 a quarter of a million books and reference materials were moved from Bristol Central Library to the B Bond Warehouse to make space for refurbishment and the development of a school at the library building.

Hydraulic engine house, Bristol Harbour
Hydraulic engine house, Bristol Harbour

The Hydraulic engine house is part of the "Underfall Yard" in Bristol Harbour in Bristol, England. The octagonal brick and terracotta chimney of the engine house dates from 1888, and is grade II* listed, as is the hydraulic engine house itself. It replaced the original pumping house which is now The Pump House public house. It is built of red brick with a slate roof and originally contained two steam engines made by the Worthington Corporation. These were compound surface condensing cylinders of 17.5 inches (440 mm) diameter. These were replaced in 1907 by the current machines from Fullerton, Hodgart and Barclay of Paisley. It powered the docks' hydraulic system of cranes, bridges and locks until 2010. Water is pumped from the harbour to a header tank and then fed by gravity to the high pressure pumps, where it is pressurised thence raising the external hydraulic accumulator. This stores the hydraulic energy ensuring a smooth delivery of pressure and meaning that the pumps do not need to be running the whole time nor be capable of supplying the instantaneous peak demands. The working pressure is 750 lbs/square inch. The external accumulator was added about 1954 when the original inside the building's tower became difficult to service (but it remains in place). The building originally contained a pair of steam powered pumps however these were replaced with three electrically driven ones in 1907. The engine house provided the power for equipment such as the lock gates and cranes until 2010.The visitor centre in the hydraulic power house opened in time for Easter 2016.