Clifton is an inner suburb of the english port city of bristol. In 1880 the clifton rocks railway was conceived to link clifton to the citys train line and the steamers that ferried people to and from ilfracombe and south wales. This funicular railway once connected clifton with hotwells and bristol harbor, carrying passengers up and down an elevation of 240 feet. The clifton rocks railway was an underground funicular railway in bristol, linking clifton at the top to hotwells and bristol harbour at the bottom of the avon gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs. Tucked away inside the cliffs of the avon gorge in bristol, england, there lies a hidden gem of history. The clifton rocks railway trust has been formed by a group of volunteers to restore the railway. The railway ran from 1893 to 1934 going bankrupt in 1908 and 1934. Go and learn about the history of clifton rocks railway. Media in category clifton rocks railway the following 29.
Post 1912 tickets were buff 1d up and d down with pink 2d through tickets. It was then converted for wartime use as overnight shelters, a. I hadnt realised that the connection to temple meads by clifton down came later or. Clifton rocks railway bristol industrial archaeological. We therefore recommend you to always check the opening hours on the. The clifton rocks railway was a major engineering achievement in the 1890s and operated for 30 years. Pdf icon over and under the clifton suspension bridge, 114. The following overview lists the visiting hours for clifton rocks railway in bristol. Mr george white, founder of the bristol tramway company and later founder of the bristol aeroplane. It was opened in 1867 by the bristol and portishead pier and railway company as a single platform stop 3. Opening hours clifton rocks railway bristol whichmuseum. However, due to the position of clifton station and the large amount of developed land in the hotwells area, an extension towards the citys main station at bristol temple meads, would have been prohibitively expensive. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge 1.
Clifton rocks railway when i looked out of the window on sunday morning my heart sank. When i got out of the station there i was impressed. The chairman of the clifton rocks railway refurbishment group, peter davey, is giving a public talk about the railway on wednesday, november 15, at the barton hill settlement, 43 ducie road, barton hill. Clifton bridge railway station is a former railway station in the bower ashton district of bristol, england, near the river avon. The clifton rocks railway trusts annual general meeting will be held on november 24, at the avon gorge hotel from 6. Until 1898 clifton st andrew was a separate civil parish within the municipal borough of bristol. Wwii the tunnel provided airraid shelters and an emergency base for the bbc in the city.
Thousands of people pass the bottom entrance to the clifton rocks railway as they drive along bristols portway, with most not knowing what secret is buried in the rock of the avon gorge. Bridge park, situated under the railway bridge, includes a basketball court, hang out rocks and mounded asphalt for skateboarders. The clifton suspension bridge is 75 metres 245 feet above river level so the walk. Clifton rocks railway bristol, united kingdom landmark. The upper station is close to brunels famous clifton suspension bridge and. Clifton rocks railway bristol public group facebook. Journal of the bristol and avon family history society june 2018.
A bit of history about this little historic and often unknown gem dwarfed by its illustrious neighbour the clifton suspension bridge. Clifton rocks railway, bristol viewpoint discovering. Media in category rail transport in bristol the following 24 files are in this category, out of 24 total. The southern entrance to the avon gorge, which connects the docks to the sea, lies at the western end of hotwells. The clifton rocks railway is a former underground funicular railway linking clifton to bristol harbour, which is now open to the public via prearranged tours. The clifton rocks railway company free company information from companies house including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity.
The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of north somerset and bristol, with the boundary. The clifton rocks railway company filing history free. The clifton rocks railway was an underground funicular railway in bristol. For 3d you could travel by tram from bristol town centre to hotwells, up the railway to clifton, and then back to the town centre by motor bus. The station was opened in march 1897 by the lancashire, derbyshire and east coast railway on its main line from chesterfield to lincoln. The clifton rocks railway was an underground funicular railway in bristol, linking clifton at the top to hotwells and bristol harbour at the bottom of the avon gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs whereas the suspension bridge spans the avon gorge. Please note that opening hours on special days or holidays may differ from what is displayed here. The eastern end of the area is at the roundabout where jacobs well road meets hotwell road. This victorian funicular railway was built inside the cliffs of the avon gorge to carry passengers up to clifton from hotwell road. The station is managed by great western railway, who are also the sole provider of trains serving the station history. Clifton rocks railway bristol 2020 all you need to. Thus the clifton rocks railway owed its existence to the self imposed isolation of the elegant and fashionable residential area of clifton from the developing public transport system of the city of bristol.
It was a short walk to the river and was popular with anglers. Times are tough for the travel community right now. If the tide is in cruisers and yachts may be seen approaching the city docks or heading for the bristol channel. Construction of the railway was funded by the publisher george newnes, also proprietor of the lynton and lynmouth cliff railway, and as at lynton and lynmouth the engineer was george croydon marks.
The museum features exhibits related to weapons and war and land transport. Travelling along the hotwells road towards the city you may have noticed the lower exit remains of the clifton rocks railway which ran until 1934. So much history crammed into a little known white elephant of a site that sits alongside bristols greatest engineering feat. Clifton rocks tunnel deep beneath bristol abandoned spaces. Prince, tom petty, steve winwood, jeff lynne and others while my guitar gently weeps duration. Clifton rocks railway, which ran up to clifton,entirely in a tunnel,and on a gradient of 1 in 2.
We would take the rocks railway up to clifton so we could catch a tram home. Clifton was recorded in the domesday book as clistone, the name of the village denoting a hillside settlement and referring to its position on a steep hill. Maggie will talk about her role as the restoration officer, refurbishing clifton rocks railway since 2005. Railscot, a history of railways with an emphasis on scottish railways. It is 317 pages long with 425 images, many historic, many in colour, and will. Welcome to the clifton rocks railway restoration project official site. The clifton rocks railway was an underground funicular railway in bristol, england, linking clifton at the top to hotwells and bristol harbour at the bottom of the avon gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs. In 1880 the clifton rocks railway was conceived to make a linking clifton to the world below, connecting the citys train line and the steamers that ferried people to and from the exotic climes of ilfracombe and south wales. Most of us pass by the clifton rocks railway without even knowing it is there. Railway, built inside the cliffs of the avon gorge. Hotwells is a district of the english port city of bristol.
This road, so busy nowadays, leads into the portway, which replaced the towpath to avonmouth in the 1920s. Andrew lloyd that the scale of the landscape elements doesnt stack up to the monumental piers, and that a platform that could have been a stage is too small, and that more could have been done for skaters and bikers, and that the whole lacks a little. Clifton rocks railway tour chartered insurance institute. Fishponds local history society, formed in 1979 by john bartlett and john penny, both fishponds born and bred, to. These are now available on line in acrobat pdf format, to search, browse through, download and print out. An eager enthusiast for all things connected with the railway including, of course, its current restoration, mr peter davey came recently to talk to the thornbury society and held his audience. The station is located on the busy shopping street whiteladies road, next door to a shopping centre. Behind the entrance is a tunnel cut through the rock which extends at a steep angle to emerge in the now derelict. Your support will go a long way in helping tour operators worldwide get back on their feet down the road. Bbc staff found themselves working in some unusual places during the 193945 war, but the tunnel of the clifton rocks railway must have been one of the strangest. Join bristol transport expert peter davey for an illustrated talk on the clifton rocks railway. It was closed by british railways in 1955 the station was at the eastern end of fledborough viaduct, which crosses the river trent.
Filing history for the clifton rocks railway company 06288742 people for the clifton rocks railway company 06288742 more for the clifton rocks railway company 06288742 filter by category show filing type. Clifton rocks railway united kingdom trip historic. The clifton rocks railway was an underground funicular railway in bristol, england, linking clifton at the top to hotwells and bristol harbour at the bottom of the avon gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs the upper station is close to brunels famous clifton suspension bridge and is located adjacent to the former grand spa hotel now the avon gorge hotel. Clifton down railway station is on the severn beach line, serving the district of clifton in bristol.
The abandoned clifton rocks railway tunnel became a clandestine base for the bbc during world war ii. As built, the bprp was isolated from the rest of the national railway network, having not been intended for anything more than local traffic distribution a docks railway. The clifton rocks railway was a funicular in bristol, linking hotwells and the river avon steamer jetty with clifton. Constructed in the late 19th century inside the cliffs of the avon gorge it was built so as to reduce the impact of a railway system on the picturesque local surroundings. It was later taken over by the great western railway and had a second platform added. The disused rails and blocked off tunnel at clifton rocks railway. Various subdistricts of clifton exist, including whiteladies road, an. The ups and downs of clifton rocks railway and the clifton spa. Clifton rocks railway, clifton, bristol september 2012 some history for you. Clifton rocks railway bristol, england atlas obscura. Supported by the avon gorge hotel, bristol city council and sponsored by a number of local companies, the trust is working hard to restore elements of the railway. View download pdf file, link opens in new window 16 mar 2020.
This is the terminus of the severn beach line this station is. In fact it initially ran from avonmouth to a terminus station near the clifton rocks railway. Unfortunately i was too late to use the rocks railway, so i had to walk up a very steep path on. Over and under the clifton suspension bridge a self. The lower hotwells terminus of the clifton rocks railway now stands bricked up and forlorn at the side of hotwells road. Next photo next buy the print sign in to send as a free ecard. Have visited this absolutely wonderful site several times in the last few years. Some years later a proposal finally won over the authorities a railway buried within the rock face itself. It wasnt until years later that a proposal won over the authorities.
Severn beach railway station serves the village of severn beach, england. Cut through solid limestone rock is the 19th century clifton rocks railway. What a pity id committed to spending 2 hours this afternoon under 30ft of rock. Follow its evolution from victorian funicular railway 18911934, through to wartime conversion to shelters, barrage balloon workshop and bbc transmitting station. Clifton, a suburb and residential district of bristol, england, adjoining it on the west. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of clifton, and directly to the north of the floating harbour. The exhibitions in the visitor centre explore the history and engineering of the. Both sea mills and clifton down are stops on the severn beach line railway. Cut into the cliffs of the avon gorge this funicular railway was constructed in the early 1890s, opened on. Constructed with great difficulty inside the cliffs of the avon gorge in order to reduce its visual impact on the picturesque surroundings, this funicular railway operated for 40 years against diminishing trade.