King Street – 1946 and 2014 With its mix of architecture spanning more than 300 years, King St, named after Charles II, is one of Bristols most interesting and historic streets. As the first photo shows, despite its historic importance, in 1946 King St was a working backwater, with cars parked in the central area of the cobbled roadway. On the left is the 1903 entrance façade of the historic Theatre Royal (1766). Next door is the imposing Coopers Hall (1743) and next door again are the gables of St Nicholas’ Almshouses, one of the first buildings to be erected in the street in 1652-6. One the other side of Queen Charlotte St, past the old fashioned road sign, is The Old Duke public house (1780s) and on the other side of King St can be seen one of the 3 gables of the Llandoger Trow, originally merchants houses (1664). Between them the tower of St Thomas’ Church can be seen across the river. On this side of Queen Charlotte St, on the right, are three buildings dating from c1665, two of which have gable ends. Finally on the right are three Victorian warehouses. Today’s view is remarkably similar. The Theatre Royal received a new frontage in 1972. At the same time Coopers Hall, which in its time has been a Guildhall, Public Assembly Rooms, a wine warehouse, a Baptist Chapel and a fruit warehouse, became the entrance and foyer for the theatre. The King Street entrance to the theatre is due for another makeover, which, looking at the plans, follows the modern Bristol tradition of being unrelated stylistically to any of its neighbours. St Nicholas Almshouses underwent restoration in 1961, during which a bastion of the City Wall was revealed. The Old Duke and Llandoger Trow survive unchanged and St Thomas Church can still be seen across the river, but looming over it to the left is the DRG building in Redcliff St. One of the warehouses on the right has been replaced by an office block sympathetic to its neighbour.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 18:18:05 +0000
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