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Bristol Guildhall

Bristol Guildhall
Bristol Guildhall is located in Bristol
Bristol Guildhall
General information
Architectural styleGothic Revival style
LocationBristol, England
Coordinates51°27′19″N 2°35′40″W / 51.4553°N 2.5945°W / 51.4553; -2.5945
Year(s) built1846
Design and construction
Architect(s)Richard Shackleton Pope
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameGuildhall
Designated4 March 1977
Reference no.1282368

Bristol Guildhall is a former municipal building on Broad Street in Bristol, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1] It was built in the 1840s on the site of the previous guildhall and used as a courthouse from the 1860s to 1993. Various plans for its use as an art gallery and hotel were then proposed. In March 2020, it was damaged by a fire which led to its roof collapsing; as of 2025 it is being converted into a spa hotel and due to open in early 2026.

History

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The earlier Guild Hall on Broad Street, Bristol

An earlier guildhall was built for a Guild of Merchants on the site in the 13th century.[2] The current building, which was designed by Richard Shackleton Pope in the Gothic Revival style, was completed in 1846,[1] incorporating fragments of the earlier Guildhall on the site.[2] The building included statues created by John Thomas of Bristol and stained glass from Rogers of Worcester.[1]

It was extended, to designs by T. S. Pope and J. Bindon, to accommodate the assize courts in 1867.[1] After judicial activities transferred to the new Bristol Crown Court building in 1993, the guildhall was converted into an art gallery.[3][4] Some of the old court rooms were panelled with varnished plywood.[2] The building, particularly 'Leech's Room' suffered bomb damage during World War II and was rebuilt in 1960.[2] In 2013 plans were unveiled to turn the building into a hotel.[5][6]

On 15 March 2020, a fire occurred in the building.[7][8][9] Around 50 firefighters and ten appliances from Bristol and the surrounding area attended and pumped water from Bristol Harbour to tackle the blaze. Because of structural damage the firefighters were withdrawn from the building and tackled it from outside. The fire started in the roof space. The roof collapsed spreading the fire to the rest of the building. The fire was extinguished by 09:00 and no-one was injured. The fire was treated as suspicious by Avon and Somerset Police.[8][7]

In 2023 restoration works began to transform the fire-damaged Guildhall into a spa hotel with 75 bedrooms and a rooftop pool.[10] It is scheduled to open in early 2026.[11]

Architecture

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The three-storey limestone building with an attic and basement has a slate roof. The symmetrical front of the building has a plinth, cornice and parapet.[1] The statues on the first floor are of Queen Victoria, Edward III, Michael Foster and John Dunning, and Edward Colston and John Whitson.[1][12][13][14]

See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bristol Guildhall.
  1. ^ a b c d e f Historic England. "Guildhall, City of Bristol (1282368)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Guildhall Chambers, Broad Street, Bristol" (PDF). Cotsworld Archaeology. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Court rooms are sentenced to life – of art". Bath Chronicle. 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Guildhall and Assize Courts to re-open as an Arts centre". Bristol Law Society. Retrieved 15 March 2020.[dead link]
  5. ^ Harmer, Janet (20 March 2013). "Bristol Guildhall to be transformed into five-star hotel". The Caterer. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  6. ^ "£10 million project for Bristol's Guildhall". Insider Media. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Bristol fire: Crews tackle Guildhall blaze". BBC News. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 15 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  8. ^ a b Wilson, Kate (15 March 2020). "Updates: Police close Bristol city centre roads after major fire". Bristol Live. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Police close Bristol city centre roads after large fire". ITV News. 15 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  10. ^ Stone, Mary (25 January 2023). "Work begins to Bristol's fire-hit Guildhall building into spa hotel with rooftop pool". Bristol Post. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Hotel Gotham Bristol". Hotel Gotham. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  12. ^ Morgan, John (1849). A Brief Historical Sketch of Bristol, with the New Picture of Clifton, and Strangers' Guide: Containing Topographical, Antiquarian and Biographical Notices, Together with a Descriptive Account of the Delightful Promenades, Rides and Drives in Clifton and Its Environs, Including a Circuit of Fifteen Miles Round the City. H. & A. Hill. p. 58.
  13. ^ Chilcott, John (1849). Chilcott's descriptive history of Bristol. p. 252.
  14. ^ "Guildhall, Small Street, Bristol". Historic England. Retrieved 15 March 2020.