Quiz: How well do you know Old Market?

From medieval pubs to royal connections, Old Market has a rich and diverse history.

It was named as one of the UK’s coolest neighbourhoods by The Sunday Times in 2018, but how much do people know about the area?

First Base, the company behind the new £175m development o the site of the former Gardiner Haskins building, was due to host walking tours to give the public an insight into the history of Old Market. With the city on lockdown, the team have instead put together an online quiz.

John Hirst, chief executive of Visit Bristol, said: “The nature of the proposed walking tours meant only 25 people could attend at a time. Now, we can help lots more people get better acquainted with this fascinating area of Bristol from the safety and comfort of their homes.

“Old Market is famous for so much but is often overlooked, so we are looking forward to seeing how people score in our special quiz.”

The Stag and Hounds is just one of Old Market’s historic pubs

Lucinda Mitchell, project manager at First Base, added: “We’re really disappointed we can’t go ahead with the Old Market Walking Tours but we had to do what’s right for the local community by postponing them.

“We hope we’ll be able to run them again one day soon as they had proved so popular with locals. In the meantime, we want to help people get to know Bristol’s famous Old Market – the place we now call home – with a fun and interactive history quiz delivered straight to their fingertips. Who knows what weird and wonderful truths are waiting to be discovered?”

Take the Old Market quiz: (*Answers at the bottom)

1.     Bristol Castle stood where Castle Park now lies. Built on the site of a Saxon fortification, it was used as a royal castle from the days of King John until Charles I’s reign. However, after this period, it had many other uses. Which of the below was the castle not used as?

a.     A prison
b.     An arsenal (store of military equipment)
c.     A hospital for cholera patients

2.     The land where Old Market Street now lies was once used to service the castle. Can you guess how?

a.     The area used to be the castle’s market gardens, providing the castle with its fresh produce
b.     Slums where the servants lived
c.     Stables for the castle’s horses

3.     Along with Vesta Tilley, which famous escapologist has performed at The Empire Music Hall?

a.     Harry Houdini
b.     Dorothy Dietrich
c.     David Blaine

4.     Old Market was home to a famous riot in 1932. What was the cause of the protests?

a.     It was the unemployed protesting the government’s austerity measures
b.     The price of alcohol increased considerably
c.     Women began using the pubs and the males were unhappy about this

5.     Lawford’s Gate, located in the Old Market area, was the defence boundary to the city. Beyond the gate, jurisdictions did not apply and therefore it was an area of lawlessness and the city’s outlaws resided here. In what year was the gate demolished?

a.     1982
b.     1542
c.     1768

6.     The Drill Hall, built in 1912, was constructed on the site of an old building linked to the slave trade which dates back to 1600s. What was this building?

a.     An old cinema
b.     Old Market Sugar Refinery
c.     A tobacco factory

7.     Child prodigy Thomas Lawrence was a famous resident of Old Market, but what was he famous for?

a.     He was a famous magician
b.     He was the royal family’s portrait artist
c.     He was the UK’s most notorious criminal

8.     Old Market is home to over 60 listed buildings, with some dating back to before the 17th century. One particular landmark, The Trinity Centre, is now a popular music venue hosting a huge range of community-focused events, but when was it built?

a.     Construction started in 1853
b.     Construction started in 1791
c.     Construction started in 1829

9.     The Lamb Inn once stood in West Street, sandwiched between Lawford Street and Gloucester Lane. The building was built in 1651 and eventually demolished in 1905, but what is the old pub remembered for?

a.     Old Market pub riots
b.     Supernatural disturbances
c.     Food poisoning outbreak

10.  Still standing at the beginning of Old Market, the well-known Stag and Hounds pub used to act as ‘The Pie Poudre Court’; a medieval court held from 1485 to adjudicate market disputes. When was the court formally disbanded?

a.     1850s
b.     1870s
c.     1970s

11.  The Bristol Evening Post, situated in Old Market, was founded in 1932. When did the local paper become the Bristol post?

a.     2012
b.     2018
c.     2015

12.  The former Gardiner Haskins site is well known in Bristol for being an old factory which produced soap – but what other household item was manufactured there?

a.     Tea towels
b.     Fruit bowls
c.     Candles

13.  Which famous person associated with Bristol was a customer at the original Gardiner Haskins store which opened in 1825?

a.     William Gregor, discoverer of titanium
b.     Isambard Kingdom Brunel
c.     Black beard the pirate

14.  Hannah More Primary School on New Kingsley Road is named after one of the most notable women of the 18th Century. Which of the following was she best known for being?

a.     An opera singer
b.     A religious writer and poet
c.     A teacher

15.  In Bristol, there are around 20,000 people of Somali heritage, many of whom reside in Old Market. There are at least 91 languages spoken in Bristol but is Somali the…

a.     Third most common language in Bristol
b.     17th most common language in Bristol
c.     82nd most common language in Bristol

Old Market is home to a vibrant LGBTQ+ scene. Photo courtesy of First Base

Trinity Centre is one of the many historic buildings in the area. Photo courtesy of First Base

*Answers: 1 (c), 2 (a), 3 (a), 4 (a), 5 (c), 6 (b), 7 (b), 8 (c), 9 (b), 10 (c), 11 (a), 12 (c), 13 (b), 14 (b), 15 (a).

Main photo by Martin Booth

Read more: Old Market named as one of UK’s coolest neighbourhoods