Cycle Path 4 (41) Welsh Back Bristol (geograph 3059162)

Welsh Back is a wharf and street alongside the

floating harbour Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It is the former natural tidal river Avon through the city but was made into its current form in 1809 when the tide was prevented from going out per ...

in the centre of the 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 ...

, England. The wharf and street extend some along the west side of the harbour between

Bristol Bridge Bristol Bridge is a bridge over the floating harbour in Bristol, England. The floating harbour was constructed on the original course of the River Avon, and there has been a bridge on the site since long before the harbour was created by impou ...

and Redcliffe Bridge. At the northern (Bristol Bridge) end, the street and wharf are immediately adjacent, but to the south they are separated by a range of single story

transit shed A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train. A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built ...

s. The wharf is a

grade II listed structure 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 ...

and takes its name because it was freqented by vessels from Welsh ports. The Welsh Back has been an important quay since the 13th century, when it was located on the tidal course of the River Avon. In 1475, the merchant and benefactor Alice Chestre is recorded as having given a crane for use at the Welsh Back, this being the first evidence of a crane in the port of Bristol. The quayside was extended in 1724, and in 1809 the floating harbour was created by impounding the former river channel, meaning that boats could stay afloat at all states of the tide when alongside the quay. Today the Welsh Back is mostly the site of bars and restaurants, situated either in the buildings on the landward side of the street, or in boats moored alongside the quay. Welsh Back Granary - geograph

The buildings on the landward side of the Welsh Back include the

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 ...

, an imposing building in 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. Just inland from the intersection of King Street and the Welsh Back is the historic Llandoger Trow public house, said to have inspired

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

in writing ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

''. Towards the northern end of Welsh Back is the so-called ‘bomb hole’, part of the quayside that was damaged by bombing during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and retained as a memorial. Alongside this is the Merchant Seamen’s memorial, commemorating those who lost their lives sailing from Bristol. Floating harbour, Bristol (geograph 4299489)

Floating harbour, Bristol (geograph 4299489)

Location within Bristol harbour

References

External links

Bristol Floating Harbour heritage trail
*{{Commons category inline, Welsh Back, Bristol Bristol Harbourside Grade II listed buildings in Bristol Streets in Bristol