Who’d have thought this popular south Bristol neighbourhood had a head start as a growing settlement before the main city itself? Andrew Swift walks the streets of Bedminster to rediscover its rise from faded market town to industrial powerhouse and beyond.
Bedminster was a thriving settlement before Bristol was even thought of. East Street and West Street, its main thoroughfares, follow the course of a Roman road, while the name of the river which powered its mills – the Malago – derives from two Celtic words, ‘melis’ (mill) and ‘agos’ (place).
Once Bristol was established, Bedminster, despite having a head start, was soon eclipsed by its upstart neighbour. Even so, it remained a busy market town until 1644, when Prince Rupert, laying siege to Bristol, burnt most of Bedminster to the ground.
Bristol soon bounced back from the trauma of Civil War, but Bedminster struggled to regain its former importance. What halted its decline were the rich seams of coal underground. The first shaft was sunk in 1748, and before long, pits were being dug all over Bedminster. In their wake new industries were established, attracted by the ready supply of coal.
At first, growth was gradual and much of Bedminster retained a semi-rural air. But the juggernaut of industry was unstoppable. At the beginning of the 19th century, Bedminster had a population of 3,000. Seventy years later, it had risen to 78,000.
Bedminster’s rise from faded market town to industrial powerhouse saw it transformed beyond recognition, and there have been so many changes since – devastating bombing during World War Two, post-war redevelopment, loss of heavy industry and rebirth as one of Bristol’s most vibrant suburbs – that traces of pre-industrial Bedminster are few and far between.
One of the best ways of getting an idea of what Bedminster was once like is to follow the course of the Malago, along whose banks the first settlers built their homes.
For that, we need to head to the Ostrich Inn on the south side of the floating harbour, where an inlet leads to Bathurst Basin. Before the New Cut was built, the Malago flowed into the Avon here. To see where its outfall is today we need to head south – by a circuitous route.
Cross the footbridge in front of the Ostrich and bear left. At the end, cross the road by the Louisiana, carry on along Cumberland Road and at the pedestrian lights turn left across Gaol Ferry Bridge. On the far side turn left along Coronation Road, and after 200m (just before the traffic lights) look down past a locked gate to see the Malago flowing into the New Cut.
To follow its course, cross at the lights and head along St John’s Road. After 75m, cross at the traffic island and – a few metres along to the left – head down into the car park and carry on past the supermarket to emerge on Bedminster Parade. Brightbow Bridge once spanned the Malago here, and on the west bank stood St Catherine’s Hospital, founded around 1220. It survived – as a ramshackle huddle of cottages – until 1886, when it was demolished to make way for the Wills’ tobacco factory. Part of its foundations were revealed in an archaeological dig by Wessex Archaeology in 2016.
Turn right through the tobacco factory colonnade, cross at the pedestrian lights and turn right. After a few metres you can look through a fence to see the Malago flowing through a deep channel. This whole area – including the busy road running through it – was the site of one of Bedminster’s biggest employers, Capper Pass & Sons’ Smelting Works, established in 1840 and closed in 1963. An excavation by Wessex Archaeology of part of the site now covered by flats featured on BBC’s Digging for Britain – as well as in The Bristol Magazine – in 2025.
Turn left alongside the fence to where old machinery for controlling the flow of the river is mounted on a ruined wall. The Malago disappears into another culvert here, to re-emerge over to your right – but before following it, turn left into Windmill Hill City Farm.
This 4.5 acre site was once covered by terraced houses. In 1976, after they had been demolished, a community group fought against plans to turn the site into a lorry park and were finally given the go ahead to establish a community farm. Fifty years on, their initiative and their vision, and the hard work of those who have succeeded them, has created one of south Bristol’s best-loved and most inspirational spaces.
On leaving the farm, head over to carry on alongside the Malago. When it disappears into a culvert turn right towards Bedminster Green, another open space once covered by houses. Today, it forms part of a regeneration scheme which will see the Malago brought back above ground as the centrepiece of a green corridor with boardwalks and amphitheatre-style seating.
At the railway bridge, turn right along a footpath past a single-storey building and carry on across pedestrian lights. You are now standing roughly where St Catherine’s Mill once stood. Powered by a millstream fed by the Malago, it survived until the 1890s.
Turn left, take the second right up Church Lane and at the top of the rise climb steps into St John’s churchyard. This was the site of the Saxon minster which gave its name to the town that grew up around it. It was rebuilt several times, most recently in 1855, but that final church was burnt out by incendiary bombs in 1940 and demolished in 1966.
Retrace your steps to the railway bridge, go under it and turn right along a footpath to see the Malago emerging from a culvert under the line. Carry on as the footpath crosses the Malago, and at the end turn left, cross at the pedestrian lights and carry on past bollards along a side road. At the next road, turn left, cross at the pedestrian lights, and after a few metres turn right along a path.
At the end, we bid farewell to the Malago and turn right along a road. At the main road, cross (at the pedestrian lights) to carry straight on up Shepton Walk. At the top, cross a footbridge over the railway. Take the first right along Stanley Terrace and then turn left along Stanley Street South. At the end, turn right along West Street. Hampton House – No 117 – on your right, dates from around 1700.
Next door but one stood another old building. The Red Cow had been a pub since at least 1792. It also served as a coroners’ court for miners killed at Malago Vale Colliery, which lay behind it. In 2009, however, despite strong protests, it was demolished to make way for flats.
Further along, the lias stone building on the corner of Argus Road was the home of the mine manager. Cross the zebra crossing and carry on in the same direction, passing another old miners’ pub, the Jolly Colliers.
At the end, opposite the Albert Inn, turn left along Diamond Street. After 30m, turn left along an alleyway to see an 18th-century lias stone farmhouse, engulfed by later development. Continue along Diamond Street, turn left at the end and take the third right along Hebron Road, which leads past Hebron Chapel, built in 1853.
At the end, turn right along North Street. After 175m, cross a zebra crossing and carry on past the Salvation Army Citadel. After passing Bristol South Baths, turn left into Dame Emily Park, built on the site of Dean Lane Colliery, which closed in 1906.
Follow a path to the right of a play area, and at the road turn right. Follow it as it curves left and turn right at the T junction. At the end, a left turn by the Coronation pub leads through an area dominated by early Victorian villas.
Take the first right along Thomas Blount Mews and turn left at the end. At the T junction, cross to go up steps to St Paul’s church, built in 1830. The tower is all that survives from the original church, the rest of which was destroyed by bombing in 1941, and later rebuilt.
On leaving the churchyard, turn left along Coronation Road, cross at the pedestrian lights and head back across Gaol Ferry Bridge. On the far side, Gaol Ferry Steps lead down past bars and cafes to the floating harbour. Length of walk is four miles.
Discover more of Andrew Swift’s books and writings online from akemanpress.com | All photos courtesy of Andrew Swift
