Bristol's HarboursideBRISTOL'S HARBOURSIDE
Results So Far
Excavations began in April, and have so far uncovered several structures of post-medieval date.These include part of the remains of the rope walk to the north of the Rope Manufactory which operated from at least the 1700s until the early 1900s. The factory started out outside as a tree-lined rope walk, but by the middle of the 1800s a substantial building, at least 300m long, had been built to the south, to house the rope making equipment. A D-shaped, stone-built structure has also been found, attached to the southern boundary wall of the rope walk. This is shown on an Ordnance Survey map from 1884 and, although its purpose was not recorded, it is likely that it provided a viewing platform from which to observe the formal gardens to the south whilst promenading along the rope walk.
Buildings 5 & 6, Harbourside, Bristol
The excavations in Area 1 revealed the continuation of the rope walk and an associated Victorian culvert identified in Area 2 and broadly supported the layout of the site shown on Rocque's map of 1742. Some detail has been added to the scheme. At this stage the findings can be summarised as follows:
Alluvium was observed sloping downhill from the north of the site towards the river channel beyond its southern boundary. The alluvium was cut by an east/west orientated culvert, of probable medieval date (A), which was revetted by stone walls; these formed the foundation of arches over the culvert. The arches allowed the construction of the north/south leg of the L-shaped building depicted on Rocque's map (B), and once the level of the area was raised by the importing of quarry and building waste, the lane immediately to the building's eastern side, which linked the Lower Green area with the reclaimed land to the south, was constructed (C). The excavations identified a cobbled floor within the building, lying on the southern side of the culvert, apparently with an opening into the building or culvert. It is thought that the cobbled floor represented evidence for some sort of industrial activity, the precise nature of which remains unclear at this stage.
The southern Abbey precinct wall was identified running east/west across the site (D). This wall was cut into the alluvium in the site's southern half, apparently broadly contemporary with the construction of the culvert. The area bounded by the precinct wall, the culvert and the western wall of the L-shaped building (E) appeared to have been used as gardens; this finding is again consistent with Rocque's map. There is some evidence for a substantial bathstone gateway controlling access from the Canon's Marsh into the Abbey precinct (F); the remains of a gate hinge were noted on the bathstone block, which has been dated to the 17th century on the basis of its form.
Immediately to the south of the precinct wall, the level of the area had been built up in the post-medieval period, apparently with waste from nearby glassworks. A Victorian culvert had been cut through this, apparently the continuation of the culvert seen in Area 2. Across the site, the construction of the Great Western Railway buildings in the 19th century had caused extensive truncation.
