Broad Weir Summary
Broad Weir ran from the junction of Merchant Street and Castle Mill Street with a very gentle rise to the junction of Philadelphia Street and Lower Castle Street. It took its name from a weir on the River Frome, this being near the site of a ducking stool which was on the north bank of the river. Today the river flows under the roadway of Broad Weir.
The street numbers of the buildings ran consecutively along the north side (Nos 1-20). On the south side the buildings were not numbered and much of this side was the old castle wall covered by advertising hoardings. Double tramlines ran along Broad Weir, going into Merchant Street and Lower Castle Street at either end. At the junction with Lower Castle Street, on the south side was a crude, narrow, whitewashed men's urinal, open to the elements.
The site of the Gem Cinema at 6-7 Broad Weir was badly damaged in December 1940 and Nos 19 and 20 were destroyed on 28 August 1942 (see Chapter 14) — all other buildings in Broad Weir survived the Second World War.
Broad Weir still exists today, but all the buildings which survived have been demolished -the north side was rebuilt as shops in 1957 and still exist today (this is when Philadelphia Street disappeared, Penn Street widened and Lower Castle Street straightened). The south side is now a high wall forming the edge of Castle Park.
Broad Weir
1-2 A.E. Chinnock Ltd, Furniture
3 S.J. Money, Restaurant
4-5 A.E. Chinnock Ltd, Furniture
6-7 Vacant (was Gem Cinema)
8 F. Brown & Sons, Cabinetmakers
9-12 W.H. Vowles & Sons, Brushmakers
13 Daniell, Bakers
14 J. Caines & Son, Basketmakers
15 Broad Weir Metal & Wool Co., Metal Merchants
16 Broad Weir Fish Restaurant
17 G.P. Elliott Ltd, Timber Merchants
18 The Old Crown, Public House
19 Taylor Bros, Printers
20 Herrings, Greengrocers
1-2 A.E. Chinnock Ltd - Furniture Retailers
This company also had premises at 4—5 Broad Weir.
3 Samuel John Money Restaurant
4-5 A.E. Chinnock Ltd - Furniture Retailers
This company also had premises at 1-2 Broad Weir.
6-7 Vacant (Gem Cinema)
This building was the site of the Gem Cinema. It was originally called Broad Weir Hall (which in 1908 was used for religious services and had a billiard room and soup kitchen) and in 1909 it was refurbished and renamed Gem Cinema, the proprietors being The Gem Electric Theatre. - The cinema had 1,200 seats, the main entrance being on Broad Weir. There was a side entrance to the gallery in Merchant Street —along an alley next to a newsagents shop and up a flight of external iron steps. It was one of several 'flea pits' in Bristol - you came out with more than you went in! Young ladies played the piano and violin between films and young boys dropped apple cores from the gallery, aiming at the heads of patrons below!
The cinema closed in 1932 and the building was used for boxing. In the 1930s unlicensed boxing shows were frequently held in Bristol and many mismatches occurred. One such bout held at the Gem will be long remembered — on 12 February 1934 a scheduled six-round fight for a purse often shillings (50p) involved fourteen-year-old Jimmy Cooper whose opponent was eight years his senior. In the second round Jimmy threw a punch and, as his foot slipped, he fell and caught his chin on the canvas. The impact broke his neck and he probably died before being moved from the ring. His funeral brought Bristol to a standstill - the service was at the Dockland Settlement and the procession led to Avonview Cemetery at St George.
The premises closed for public use in 1936 and was intermittently used as a store until it was blitzed on 6/7 December 1940. The remaining shell of the building was demolished in 1957.
8 F. Brown & Sons - Cabinetmakers
This building was used as a store - F. Brown & Sons had their main premises at 12 Narrow Wine Street.
9-12 W.H. Vowles & Sons Ltd (Eagle Brush Works) Brushmakers
This building survived the war and Vowles occupied it until its demolition for redevelopment of the area.
13 Percy Daniell - Baker
These premises had a bakery on site and supplied many local shops. Ashes from the fires which heated the ovens were constantly disposed of by dropping them through a manhole to the river below, despite several warnings from the local authority not to do so!
Between Nos 13 and 14 Broad Weir was an archway and passage to the Friends Meeting House in Quakers Friars.
14 John Caines & Son Basketmakers
15 Broad Weir Metal & Wool Co. - Metal Merchants
16 Broad Weir Fish Restaurant
Fried Fish Dealer (Proprietor: R. Gooding)
17 G.P. Elliott (Bristol) Ltd - Timber Merchants
This company was established in 1911
18 The Old Crown - Public House
Landlord: Frank Summerall - Brewery: Simmonds - The original building on this site was built in the seventeenth century and rebuilt in 1906.
image above right: The north side of Broad Weir, showing 9-12 (Kosmos House) - Vowles, Brush Makers, to No. 18 - The Old Crown public house. (Mid-1950s)
image above left: The trade card of Taylor Bros, Printers, who had premises in Broad Weir.
19 Taylor Brothers (Bristol) Ltd - Printers and lithographers
This building was built in 1624 and Taylor Bros moved here in 1879 (this company was established in 1866 at premises in Baldwin Street). It was destroyed following an air raid on 28 August 1942, when Taylor Bros temporarily moved to 17 Philadelphia Street. In 1955 they moved to premises in Wilder Street; the company is still trading from this site today.
20 Mrs E.L. Herring - Greengrocers
Merchant Venturers Technical College This four-storey building was built in 1896 and was initially used by the Board of Education as a Pupil Teachers Centre. In 1908 a change of the regulations regarding the training of teachers meant the centre was no longer needed. It was then occupied by the Municipal School of Industrial Art until 1 January 1938, when the Merchant Venturers Technical College became tenants.
This was one of several branches the college had in Bristol, their main premises being in Unity Street. The college provided courses (both full and part-time) in various technical subjects, for example engineering, woodworking and chemistry, at the end of which students would hope to achieve (after three years) ONC or (after five years) HNC qualification. An extensive new chemistry lab was completed immediately before the blitz of November 1940.
It was open seven days a week and access to the building was via Uroad Weir and The Terraces. The building survived the war and the college provided courses until 1949, when it became part of the University of Bristol. The college still exists today, operating from premises in The Promenade, Clifton. This building was demolished in the mid-1950s.
Bristol Co-operative Society
Education Centre and Trawl Bureau (See entry under 18—22 Castle Street)
image above right bottom: Broad Weir from Lower Castle Street, with Taylor Bros, Printers in the centre and tramlines with overhead wires clearly visible. Philadelphia Street is off to the right by the 'Black Cat' advertisement, (c.1935)
image above left: The Education Centre of the Bristol Co-operative Society in Broad Weir. (1-.9.37)
image above right top: A sketch by Samuel Loxton of the building in Broad Weir occupied by the Merchant Venturers Technical College (c.1908)
Castle Mill Street Summary
Castle Mill Street ran from the junction of Narrow Wine Street and Castle Green down a short, steep hill to the junction of Merchant Street and Broad Weir. Its name was taken from the fact that the mill belonging to the old castle stood near this site, driven by the water of the River Frome.
The street numbers ran consecutively from the top of the hill along the north side (Nos 4-11) and continued back up the hill on the south side (12—18). Except for 4—7, all of the buildings survived the Second World War.
Castle Mill Street ran roughly where Newgate is today, between The Galleries Shopping Centre and Castle Park, Newgate being much straighter and the slope more gentle (as it also includes part of the pre-war Narrow Wine Street).
image left: The building on the left is that of W.B. Harris Printing Co. at No.22 Narrow Wine Street, the others are 4-8 Castle Mill Street, (c.1905)
4-7 Vacant
Premises unoccupied since about 1930.
8 Charles Kemp - Cycle Repairs
9 S. Britton - Pork Butcher
The Brittons were a well-known Bristol family of butchers, the father having a shop in Narrow Weir.
10-11 Vacant - J.K. Miles, Furniture occupied these premises until about 1938. After the blitz of November 1940 it was temporarily occupied as the Footwear Department of the Bristol Co-operative Society.
12 W.J. Reed - Frome & Malago Inspector
This was a high-walled yard (with accommodation for the local Frome & Malago
inspector) with large metal capstans which operated sluice gates to control the flow of the River Frome, which flows underneath. These still exist today, adjacent to the footbridge from The Galleries Shopping Centre to Castle Park.
13-14 Vacant
The premises were unoccupied from around 1935.
15 Curwen-Miller Co. Ltd
Paint Manufacturers
16 G. Boyce - Fruiterer
17 H. Salanson & Co. Ltd - Photographers
In this building Fred Little (a well-known photographer of Bristol buildings and producer of postcards) carried out his business until it was acquired by Salansons in 1937, the business continuing at these premises after the war. Salansons also had premises at 20 High Street.
18 J.D. Locke - Shoe Repairs
This shop (and No. 17) was incorporated into the lower ground floor of St Peter's Parish Hall.
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