West Street Origins by Lew Pedlar (Memories of Bedminster Group)
- GVHeritage Groups
- Nov 28, 2024
- 2 min read
by the West Street Heritage Group for Futures Past
Bedminster – did a monk named Bede build a church here? Or, from Bede, a place of baptism perhaps in the Malago Stream? Certainly the ancient church of St. Johns was a prominent feature until the 1960’s and the Malago Stream has flowed forever albeit now, mostly covered over.
Historically, an Iron Age Fort existed within its boundaries and the Romans may have marched along a route which today we might recognise as West Street. The Royalist Army escaped from the chasing Roundheads, across its boundaries and along today’s Monarch’s Way? Pilgrims too walked that way attending religious gatherings at Glastonbury.
The Doomsday Book (1086) recorded the contents of Bedminster’s land when it extended westward into Somerset. It retained this rural background over the following centuries despite the proximity of the ever-expanding City of Bristol.
By the mid eighteenth-century Bedminster’s rural character gave way to an industrial landscape. Coal was in high demand driven by the Industrial Revolution. Heat, water and steam were perfect partners. Along West Street coal was mined.
The decline in agriculture meant labourers found work hard to find but they were hard grafters and adaptable. They were more than capable of meeting the demands of this new era. From Devon and Cornwall villages they migrated to towns and cities. This was to Bedminster’s benefit. West Street became the principal route for workers, workers, travellers and traders. who sought Bristol as their destination. Mariners and shipwrights were attracted to the nearby Port of Bristol, then 2nd most important port in the country. Farmers brought their animals to market or for slaughter. Abattoirs, tanneries, Glue Factories and Candlemakers had a ready-made source of material. Along with the metal foundries Industrial Bedminster was born.
There was however a downside. From the early 1800’s population expansion in Bedminster was rapid (from around 3,000 rising to over 80,000 as the 20th century approached). With little time for structured planning it led to communal housing and squalid living. Sanitation was often ignored leading to fatal epidemic outbreaks. Working conditions in Mines and Tanyards were dangerous with fatal consequences. Nineteenth century Bedminster was a very unhealthy place to live.
Lew Pedlar, Memories of Bedminster
