Three plaque-themed walks around ‘the handsomest suburb in Europe’, its facades flecked with plaques – a roll-call of the great and good. Walking through history- celebrating enterprise and endeavour.
Bristol Civic Society members may have already read an article in Better Bristol magazine written by Gordon Young about the many fascinating commemorative plaques recording the dwellings of eminent residents scattered around Clifton and Hotwells. Gordon has kindly offered a guided late autumn walk of the plaque sites and the people behind them, bringing the subject to life in a series of three distinct walks. In our featured image Gordon Young leads an earlier Clifton walk.
I. Central Clifton & Pembroke Rd: 1.8 miles, 90 minutes, 11 plaques and 7 mansions. We head north, in the direction of Clifton College then return by way of Pembroke Road. There, we ponder on the grand mansions of nineteenth-century merchants.
II. Glimpses of Georgian splendour and eighteenth-century spa lodging houses. West Clifton & Hotwells: the longest walk: 2.5 miles, 2 hours, 22 plaques. We progress to the gorge and descend to Hotwells. We ascend by a different, little-known route.
III Assyriology, ethnology, epidemiology. East Clifton: the shortest walk, at 1.6 miles, 90 minutes, and 22 plaques. We visit the grave of the Hotwells milkmaid poet, Ann Yearsley. And you’ll see a valuable rare book of her poetry, once owned by the renowned Bristol sugar merchant and plantation owner, John Pinney.
The cost is £3 per person per walk payable via PayPal (no PayPal account needed). Numbers are limited to 10 persons per walk, first come first served. Meeting point Christ Church, Clifton Green at 10.30am.
Click on your prefered date to book a place.
- 7th November 2021, Central Clifton
- 14th November 2021, West Clifton and Hotwells
- 21st November 2021, East Clifton
- 28th November 2021, Central Clifton
- 5th December 2021, West Clifton and Hotwells
- 12th December 2021, East Clifton