Andrew Swift explores the legacy left behind by one of Bristol’s most famous faces in the form of iconic structures, buildings and areas that have defined the landscape of our city for generations –
and now you can follow in his footsteps too.
Opinions may differ as to whether SS Great Britain or the Clifton Suspension Bridge is Bristol’s most popular visitor attraction. The extraordinary thing is, though, that they should both have been designed by the same man. Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s connection with Bristol runs deep. Although he was born in Portsmouth and lived most of his life in London, it is difficult to think of anybody who had a more profound impact on the city. But, while every Bristolian will be familiar with his more famous achievements, others are far less well known.
So, as August is an ideal to get out and explore the city, here is a short guide to some of the less familiar locations associated with the great man, starting out east, in St Anne’s Park.
St Anne’s Tunnels, Newbridge Road, BS4 4DY
Standing on the bridge over Brunel’s Great Western Railway and looking east – past the site of St Anne’s Park station, opened in 1898 and closed in 1970 – you can see the castellated portal of St Anne’s Tunnel No 2.
While under construction, some of the stonework on the left-hand side collapsed, but, as Brunel thought this enhanced its romantic appeal, it remained in a semi-ruinous state until it was finally ‘repaired’ in
the 1930s.
If you are wondering about St Anne’s Tunnel No 1, it ran below where you are standing. It was opened out into a cutting, with bridges at either end, when new tracks were added in 1899.
Avon Bridge, Whitby Road, BS4 4EX
This is perhaps the saddest part of Brunel’s legacy in Bristol. The stone bridge he built to carry the railway across the river in 1839 was later obscured by steel bridges on either side when new tracks were laid. Although the steel bridge on the north side has long been disused, it still hides the view of the original bridge. Given the reverence now accorded to Brunel, perhaps it is not too much to hope that it will eventually be removed, letting this elegant structure – now Grade I listed – appear in all its glory. For the moment, though, the only way to get a glimpse of it is to take a boat trip along the river.
Old Temple Meads Station, BS1 6QH
Temple Meads is one of the best-known buildings in Bristol, but the present station, which opened in 1878, has nothing to do with Brunel. His station is the Tudor-style building facing onto Temple Gate, with ‘GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY INCORPORATED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT MDCCCXXXV’ engraved on a scroll above the entrance. It continued to operate alongside the later station until 1965 but is now an event venue – and well worth a visit if you get a chance.
Like all good celebrities, Brunel took great care to cultivate his image, and his top hat and cigar have achieved iconic status, making him one of the most instantly recognisable figures of the 19th century. The hat, though, seems to have been adopted to make him look taller. He was only around five feet tall and it added at least eight inches to his height. A statue of Brunel outside the original station gives due prominence to the hat although there is no cigar to be seen. The statue was cast in 1982 by John Doubleday, along with a matching statue, in which Brunel is seated, in Paddington station, at the other end of the line.
Queen Square, BS1 4JE
Queen Square has two links with Brunel. On the evening of 29 October 1831, during the Bristol Riots, Brunel was in Queen Square and ‘assisted in apprehending some of the rioters’. Less than eighteen months later, in March 1833, when he was given the job of surveying the route of a railway from London, he decided to build the Bristol terminus in Queen Square, much of which had been destroyed in the riots. Six months later, however, the directors gave him ‘positive instructions not even to include Queen’s Square … but to stop at Temple Meads’.
Brunel House, St George’s Road, BS1 5PE
Brunel saw his railway as the first stage of a high-speed link between London and New York. For the second stage he designed the SS Great Western, which was launched in Bristol in 1838. To cater for passengers transferring between train and ship, a hotel near College Green was taken over and rebuilt in grand style as the Royal Western Hotel, with Brunel playing a major role in its design. It closed in 1855 and, after many changes of use, is now student digs.
Underfall Yard, Cumberland Road, BS1 6XG
In 1832, Brunel was appointed consulting engineer for the floating harbour, where problems with it silting up were becoming critical. As well as making improvements to the original sluices at the underfall dam, he recommended the use of dredgers. Brunel’s contribution, although it improved matters for several years, is only a small part of the story of one of Bristol’s most fascinating visitor attractions, where the technology of a bygone age lives on.
Swivel Bridge
Another issue with the floating harbour was the narrowness of the locks at Cumberland Basin. As ships got larger, the problem got worse. In 1844, Brunel modified the North Lock so that the SS Great Britain could leave the harbour. A year later, he drew up plans for a new and much wider South Dock, which opened in 1849, spanned by the swivel bridge which now lies disused by the new North Lock, which opened in 1873.
Brunel’s South Lock, although long disused, still survives, as does the truncated western end of the old North Lock, while a working party has spent years not only conserving and restoring Brunel’s swivel bridge but pressing for it to be brought back into use. There are ambitious plans for the future of Cumberland Basin and it can only be hoped that they will find a fitting place for this historic Grade II* structure.
From the swivel bridge, another, far more famous bridge can be seen spanning the Avon Gorge. It is often forgotten that, while the Clifton Suspension Bridge is such a familiar sight today, it is one Brunel never lived to see. Work on the bridge started in 1831 but ground to a halt in 1843 when the money ran out. It was eventually completed after his death as a tribute to the great man.
Andrew Swift’s books include The Ringing Grooves of Change: Brunel & the Coming of the Railway to Bath, which includes the Story of Box Tunnel and a Brunel Trail from Keynsham to Box, and is available from akemanpress.com | All photos courtesy of Andrew Swift
To find out more…
Underfall Yard Visitor Centre & Cafe: underfallyard.co.uk
Swivel Bridge: brunelsotherbridge.org.uk
Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre: cliftonbridge.org.uk
SS Great Britain: ssgreatbritain.org
