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‘It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the city, its history and culture’
It’s been nearly two and a half years since I moved to Bristol to attend university. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the city, its history and culture. Every day I walk forty minutes from Fishponds to Frenchay campus, enjoying the views of the city centre and the beauty of Stoke Park.
Appreciation for the natural beauty morphed into inspiration as I began my work at Bristol Central Library, identifying and researching drawings done by the artist Samuel Loxton at the turn of the twentieth century. It didn’t take me long to realise that many of the drawings he had done were local to the area where I have been living and that they show great insight into Bristol’s history.
Wickham Bridge in Fishponds is one of 2,000 Samuel Loxton sketches catalogued at Bristol Central Library
My journey to campus always begins the same way: by walking over Lodge Causeway bridge and across Fishponds Road, the morning traffic backing up at the lights and obscuring view of the oncoming cars. The smell of jerk chicken wafts from the Jamaican restaurant on the corner as they set up their barbecue for the day. Commuters pass each other without notice on their way to their various destinations, sometimes running to catch that bus that just happens to be early, today of all days.
is needed now More than ever
Crossing Fishponds Road, I venture into the rows of houses and past All Saints Church, built between 1904 and 1909. Little to my knowledge that, in years past, there was a small pond where houses now stand. The rows of houses eventually open up into a beautiful green space lined with trees, the sun reflecting off the buildings in the city centre as it breaches the horizon behind me. It is a view that, no matter the weather, has yet to lose its magic.
Down a small road off BlackBerry Hill, behind a barrier of trees and shrubs, lies a beautiful Grade II listed building, Wickham Court. This unassuming sandstone house with climbing vines comes with a note: that a council of war was held in the house in 1645 by Cromwell and Fairfax, before their march on Bristol.
Just down a tree-lined footpath lies Wickham Bridge, originally constructed as a road in the 17th century and beautifully sketched, on multiple occasions, by Loxton. Ordinarily, the historical significance of the place would be entirely lost on me, but as I continued on, I had to learn more. The bridges over the River Frome were vital to life in the area for centuries.
Star Hill Monument by Samuel Loxton
Continuing along the footpath, I come to the gates of Stoke Park. Carrying on, under the motorway and around a sharp corner, one is presented with a stunning view of the estate. Dower House, repurposed for the Stoke Park Colony at the turn of the twentieth century and later turned into flats, dominates the view to the right with yellow, contrasting beautifully against the blue of the sky. To the left, across the rolling fields, lies Star Hill Monument. Built in 1760, it was damaged on multiple occasions by lightning, the existing structure having been only partly restored. Luckily, both the Stoke Park Colony building and the monument were commemorated in the art of Loxton, and turning back to them, one can imagine standing in that spot 100 years ago.
Walking through with open eyes, it is easy to see that Fishponds has evolved greatly since it was founded. A large part of its beauty and uniqueness stems from its long history and connectedness to Bristol whilst retaining its own identity. It has been a pleasure living in such a place and learning so much about how it came to be.
Erin Brown is an American student studying Creative Writing at the University of West of England. She’s currently completing a work placement at Bristol Libraries under the Local History Project. Those interested in taking part can email libraries.volunteering@bristol.gov.uk
To see more Loxton Drawings, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-libraries/albums or “Know Your Place” http://maps.bristol.gov.uk/kyp or the Central Library where you can ask to see the originals. To find out more about Bristol’s Local History, visit the Local History Collections in your closest library, the Reference Department at Central Library or visit www.librarieswest.org.uk .
Read more: What Does the Future Hold for Bristol’s Libraries
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