Clifton Village, perched at the top of the Avon Gorge, is a very easy and attractive place for wandering around. There is so much to see and do, including admiring the Regency architecture, looking at shops, or popping into a café or restaurant for a coffee or bite to eat.
Clifton achieved worldwide fame, when it was described by Sir John Betjeman as ‘the finest suburb in England.’ It’s not hard to understand why – the picture postcard crescents and squares make it a delightful place to visit, and live.
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Let’s shop!
So – let’s start with the indie shops in Clifton Village, which are found in Regent Street, and along the criss-cross streets just off it. Princess Victoria Street is pedestrian only – and neither the Mall or Waterloo Street are main roads – so it has a very relaxed feel. You’ll find all sorts of independent shops –selling everything from 1950s kitchenware and retro furniture, to expensive jewellery. There is a whole range of clothes shops, to suit most styles, gift shops and artisan delicatessens.
A short walk across Regent Street takes you into Boyces Avenue, also full of indie shops, cafes, and an atmospheric Victorian Arcade. For such a small street, it’s remarkably big on interesting stories! First – the arcade – for decades no-one knew it was there! It had been boarded up, and used by a removal company for storing furniture. It was renovated and re-opened in the 1990s, with an array of small retail units selling all sorts of fascinating things.
The street has a vibrant atmosphere with tables out on the pavement. Sadly, a 1970s shopping precinct on the corner with Clifton Down Rd, built in modernist concrete style, was recently demolished to make way for a new block with shops and restaurants. Although, the old precinct was in need of tlc, it was only two storeys high, with a piazza and silver birch trees. It allowed Boyces Avenue and Kings Rd to be flooded with light. I’m not convinced that the new development will be an improvement. However, the local Green councillors seem to think it will be, and allowed it to be voted in.
Boyce who?
The story of Boyce provides an interesting glimpse into the history of Clifton Village. Thomas Boyce was a well-to-do wig maker in King Street, Bristol. He went into property speculation during the heyday of the Hotwells Spa, in the 18th century, when wealthy visitors flocked to Clifton for the season . He bought the land in 1763, and built three luxurious lodging houses, which became known as Boyce’s Buildings in Boyce’s Avenue. However, he spent too much on the investment, and went bankrupt ten years later.
The building with the arch at the end of Boyce’s Avenue, which leads into Victoria Square, was built in 1837. It was the scene of legal action in 1861, known as the Battle of Boyce’s Buildings, when the owner William Mathias refused to allow carriages through, despite it being a right of way. A mother taking her baby in a pram through the arch was attacked by Mathias, who claimed it was a carriage. He was eventually sent to prison for six months as a result of his actions.
On a lighter note, the above photo is from November 2019, when Bristol Old Vic students sang madrigals in the Victorian Arcade, as part of the Christmas turning on the lights festival. It’s odd to see so many people packed in together – social distancing was an unknown concept.
Crescents and Squares
The first settlers in Clifton date back through the mists of time, to an Iron Age settlement on the hill above the Avon Gorge, now known as the Observatory – where the ancient earth ramparts are still visible! It remained as farmland and market gardens until the 18th century, with cattle and sheep grazing across the grassland.
However, merchants who had profited from the triangular trade of slaves, sugar and tobacco, wanted to get away from the noise and smells of the busy harbour. They started to build large mansions up on the green slopes above the river. Soon after, there was a construction boom, with spectacular crescents, terraces and squares built across the hillside, and cliff tops of the gorge.
Victoria Square
Walking through the arch at the end of Boyce’s Avenue, you’ll find yourself in Victoria Square. There’s a palatial feeling to the square, which isn’t surprising as the South facing Royal Promenade was built to resemble a palace, rather than 15 houses. Looking up, you can see the royal coat of arms in the centre, above Numbers 7 and 8.
In the 19th century, rather than being occupied by families as is often thought, rooms were rented out to so-called ‘first class tenants’. One of the more well known residents of the square, was famous England cricketer, Dr W.G. Grace, who was also a surgeon. Another household name was William Budd, an epidemiologist, who identified water as a source of transmission of typhoid fever.
Walking round the square, it’s hard not to notice the statuesque copper beech on the West side. Bristol’s first female architect, Eveline Dew Blacker who lived in No. 20, had to write many a letter to the authorities in the 1920s to stop it from being chopped down! She was also well known for designing the Bristol Cenotaph in 1932.
Harley Street of Bristol
Many of the ground floors were doctor’s surgeries, and Victoria Square soon gained a reputation as the Harley Street of Bristol. Wealthy visitors flocking to the city to take the healing waters from Hotwells, came to the doctors in the square to seek medical treatment.
If they couldn’t find a cure, and lived out their last days in Clifton Village, then they were buried in The Strangers Graveyard on Clifton Hill!
Royal York Crescent
If you walk down Regent Street, and turn right – this is Royal York Crescent. It is a spectacular terrace of houses set back from a raised pavement, built over vaulted cellars, which were used as stables. The crescent is around 39 metres long, and is reputed to be the longest crescent in Europe!
Take a walk along the crescent, and admire the views of the harbourside and hills beyond. On a clear day, you might see hot air balloons sailing across the sky. These statuesque houses also have many a story to tell.
Construction work started in 1791, over gardens and orchards belonging to a mansion built a century before. However, work stopped due to the economic downturn during the Napoleonic War, with only three houses built. During this time, the War Office bought the site, and the Duke of York, the son of King George 111, wanted to turn it into barracks for his battalions.
However, the local people objected to the plan for an army barracks in the middle of their neighbourhood. After the war, it was sold to a developer and completed in 1820. However the name stuck – and this is why it’s called Royal York Crescent!
And the royal connections didn’t end there! At the far end of the crescent, Nos. 1-3 were used until 1855 as a boarding school for girls. In 1837, Eugenie de Montijo, who became the Empress of France through her marriage to Napolean 111, attended the school. She was joined by her sister Paca, who became the Duchess of Alba in Spain.
The Holy Grail
No.17 Royal York Crescent also has an extraordinary tale to tell! This is where the Holy Grail (allegedly!) was kept for many years at the beginning of the 20th Century. Wellesley Tudor Pole, a spiritualist who lived in No. 17, claimed to have found the Grail after having visions that it was in Glastonbury. The chalice, an old blue glass bowl, was discovered, after digging 3ft down into a water spring. It was kept in a special room in No.37. The room was named ‘The Oratory’, and daily vigils and special services were held there.
People used to make pilgrimages from all over the world to see the chalice, including Abdul Baha, the grandson of the founder of the Bahai Faith. The chalice is now kept at the Chalice Well in Glastonbury.
Perhaps the magical atmosphere of the Crescent influenced the author Angela Carter. She lived at No.38 for eight years during the 1960s. She was known for her feminist and magical realism novels and poetry, including The Bloody Chamber and Nights at the Circus.
If you enjoyed this walk around Clifton Village, then do check out my posts on the nearby Avon Gorge, and Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Where to Stay
Clifton Village is a great base for exploring the rest of Bristol, and there are a range of hotels to suit most budgets. The Avon Gorge Hotel is an iconic building perched on the edge of the gorge, with spectacular views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It has an amazing terrace bar, and fine dining. Smaller hotels, include The Rodney Hotel and Victoria Square Hotel, both in character properties, with good reviews.
There are many more things to see in Bristol – to find out more – read my article – Things to Do in Bristol.
