Hotwells

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Houses in Hotwells, with Brandon Hill and Cabot Tower visible in the background.

Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. Bristol Cathedral is situated at the eastern end of Hotwells, adjacent to The Council House and College Green. Hotwells forms part of the city ward of Clifton. ^[1]^[2]

Hotwells takes its name from the hot springs which bubble up through the rocks of the Avon Gorge underneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge. In Georgian times Hotwell was developed as a spa town in an attempt to compete with Bath, but never really attained the same status, and eventually the waters were found to be polluted. Although for many years much of the housing in Hotwells was in a poor state of repair, there has been a noticeable improvement recently, with several new developments, including the opening of premises for the City of Bristol College.^[3]

Hotwells has long had an important part to play in Bristol's transport infrastructure. Towards the end of the 19th century, the western end of the district was the location of a terminus of a Bristol Tramways route, the city terminus of the Bristol Port Railway to Avonmouth, the lower terminus of the Clifton Rocks Railway, the locks giving access to the Floating Harbour, and the landing stages used by passenger steamers. In the 1920s, the A4 Portway road was driven through the Avon Gorge to provide better access from the city to Avonmouth Docks and in the process removing all signs of the Bristol Port Railway's station. Since the 1960s, the western end of Hotwells has been dominated by the Hotwells Flyover complex, which enables traffic from the city centre and the A4 Portway to cross the City Docks to access the west side of the city.^[4]