The Granary, also known as Wait and James' Granary, is a building on
Welsh Back in the English city of
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. It was designed by
Archibald Ponton and
William Venn Gough
William Venn Gough (1842–1918) was an architect responsible for a number of prominent buildings in Bristol. His works include the Cabot Tower, Colston's Girls' School (now Montpelier High School), Trinity Road Library, St Aldhelm's church ...
in red
Cattybrook brick, with black and white brick and limestone dressings. It is probably the best preserved example of the
Bristol Byzantine
Bristol Byzantine is a variety of Byzantine Revival architecture that was popular in the city of Bristol from about 1850 to 1880.
Many buildings in the style have been destroyed or demolished, but notable surviving examples include the Colston ...
style and is designated by
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
as a grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
The building was built in 1869 as a
granary
A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animal ...
for Wait, James and Co. It was used to dry large quantities of grain, so it had to be strong, stable and warm, with good ventilation. Between 1968 and 1988, it housed a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
, also known as The Granary. In 2002, the building was converted into apartments, after the owners,
Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council is the local authority of Bristol, England. The council is a unitary authority, and is unusual in the United Kingdom in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of Bristol. Bristol has 34 wards ...
, had invited competitive bids from developers for its renovation and conversion. Barton Willmore produced the designs which supported the winning bid.
Granary nightclub
The Granary housed a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
, also known as The Granary, from 1968 to 1988. Initially opened as a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
club by Ted Cowell under the guidance of
Acker Bilk
Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, (28 January 1929 – 2 November 2014) was a British clarinetist and vocalist known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive appearance – of goatee, bowler hat and striped waistc ...
in 1968, it started hosting regular
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
nights in 1969, when a collective called
Plastic Dog, whose club night had become too busy for the Dugout club on Park Row, took over the poorly attended Monday nights. By early 1970 they had removed 'Old' from the title of the venue, which completed its transition to an all-rock club by 1978. Many well-known rock acts played there, including
Yes,
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
,
Status Quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...
,
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
and
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
.
[Read, Al. The Granary Club: The Rock Years 1969 - 1988. 2003. page 260. Broadcast Books. ]
See also
*
Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
There are 212 Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol, England.
In England and Wales the authority for listing is granted by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and is administered by English Heritage, an agency of the ...
References
Bibliography
* {{cite book, last=Jones, first=Mark, title=Bristol Folk - A discographical history of Bristol folk music in the 1960s and 1970s, location=
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
,
UK, date=2009, url=http://cgi.ebay.com/BRISTOL-FOLK-Bristol-folk-music-in-the-60s-70s_W0QQitemZ250580977903QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Music_Music_Memorabilia_LE?hash=item3a57ca48ef, access-date=2010-02-28
Bristol Harbourside
Towers in Bristol
Industrial buildings completed in 1869
Office buildings completed in 1869
1869 establishments in England
Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
Grade II* listed industrial buildings
Grade II* listed office buildings
Brick buildings and structures
Byzantine Revival architecture in the United Kingdom