User:Jezhotwells/Hotwells



Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. Bristol Cathedral is situated at the eastern end of Hotwells, adjacent to The Council House and College Green. Hotwells forms part of the city ward of Clifton.

Hotwells takes its name from the hot springs which bubble up through the rocks of the Avon Gorge underneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The springs were first documented in 1480. In the Georgian era, Hotwells was developed as a spa town in an attempt to compete with Bath, which included the building of Dowry Square. Many visitors came, including the diarist John Evelyn and the travel writer Celia Fiennes, who hunted for Bristol Diamonds in the gorge. Despite this, Hotwells never attained the same status as Bath, and eventually the waters were found to be polluted. Although for many years much of the housing in Hotwells was in a poor state of repair, there has been a noticeable improvement recently, with several new developments, including the opening of premises for the City of Bristol College. Hotwells has long had an important part to play in Bristol's transport infrastructure. Towards the end of the 19th century, the western end of the district was the location of a terminus of a Bristol Tramways route, Hotwells railway station was the city terminus of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier line to Avonmouth, the lower terminus of the Clifton Rocks Railway, the Rownham Ferry which crossed the Avon to Bower Ashton, the locks giving access to the Floating Harbour, and the landing stages used by passenger steamers. In the 1920s, the A4 Portway road was driven through the Avon Gorge to provide better access from the city to Avonmouth Docks, in the process removing all signs of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier's station. Since the 1960s, the western end of Hotwells has been dominated by the Hotwells Flyover complex, which enables traffic from the city centre and the A4 Portway to cross the City Docks to access the south west side of the city.

Grenville Chapel a methodist church was opened in 1839 in a rather elaborate Early English Style building. For many years it was used as a garage and is now housing association managed flats.

Hotwells includes several of Bristol's Grade II* listed buildings, including the Church of Holy Trinity, designed by Cockrell, and the whole of Albemarle Row, a Georgian terrace. Also listed is the Pump House, formerly the power plant for Bristol Harbour's bridges and other machinery, now a pub.

Fanny Burney's 18th century novel Evelina is partly set in Hotwells, as the eponymous heroine visits Bristol during its spa-town years.

The area is served by two schools, Hotwells Primary School and St George C of E Primary School. The latter has been under threat of closure by Bristol City Council, but is now to be re-evaluated in 2013.

Hotwells and Cliftonwood Community Association (HCCA), is a registered charity run by local volunteers which exists to improve the quality of life for those who live and work locally. For many years HCCA ran the Hope Centre, based in the Georgian listed building, Hope Chapel, which provided a base for community groups and offered a programme of arts events. The Hope Centre closed in 2001 following a loss of funding and the lease was surrendered to the owners, the Congregational Federation.