Bristol Castle: Vaulted Chambers, Bristol, City of Bristol

Summary

Medieval building, currently (2022) a commercial premises. Mid-C13 and probably C14 and built probably as entrance porch to the castle’s Great Hall. Stabilised in mid-C20, restored in 1974; extended in the 1980s and refurbished in the early C20. The late-C20 extension on the north side of the building is not included in the listing.

Description

MATERIALS: it constructed of cut and squared Pennant sandstone, rubble, ashlar and later brick, with freestone dressings, and is part-rendered. The hipped pantile roof is behind a parapet and there is a rendered stack to the rear. The late-C20 extensions on the north side are built of red brick and part-rendered, under a hipped, pantile roofs.

PLAN: the medieval building is roughly square on plan and of two bays. There is a late-C20 addition on its north side.

EXTERIOR: it is a single-storey building, probably of at least two principal phases of construction, and has roughcast rendered walls with some exposed masonry in places, a parapet and a concave-moulded cornice. The bays are defined externally by later stepped buttresses of brick which stop short of the parapet. The west front has been much rebuilt, and has two pointed-arched openings, of different size and height, and each has an inserted late-C20 glazing, timber mullions and a metal grille; the left-hand opening also has a timber door. The right (south) return has a segmental-arched opening with a C15 stone, flat-arched, two-light window with hollow-chamfered mullion and jambs, modern head with spandrels and leaded panes. It has possibly been re-sited. The rear elevation has a blocked opening, possibly a pointed-arched doorway or relieving arch towards the north end of the wall and an area of exposed stone appears to either be later repairs or the infilling of an opening. The north elevation is obscured by the later additions.

INTERIOR: the interior is formed of two rooms and is much restored having undergone alteration and later interventions, including the insertion of partitions and staircases which are not extant, and damage during the Second World War. It previously had a vaulted undercroft which was infilled with concrete probably in the mid-C20. The south room to dates to the C13 and was formerly the entrance to the Great Hall. Its rear (east) wall has an infilled semi-circular arched opening of two orders and the roof has quadripartite vaulting and transverse ribs carried on foliate-carved capitals and clustered columns; much restored and with parts missing. A later opening, possibly early C20, in the north wall leads to the second room which was added probably in the C14, though its original use is uncertain. This room has two blocked openings in its east wall and in the north wall are two doorways and several recesses, one of which has been infilled. The vaulting in the north room is much degraded, with simple, chamfered ribs, moulded capitals and short clustered shafts with decorated bases.

Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 it is declared that the late-C20 extension on the north side of the building is not of special architectural or historic interest and is excluded from the listing.

History

The earliest record of Bristol Castle is from 1088 when, during the rebellion that followed the death of William the Conqueror, it was held by Geoffrey, Bishop of Countances. It was a motte and bailey castle, possibly preceded by a ringwork, that was established on high ground on or beyond the east end of the town. During the first half of the C12 the castle was held by Robert Fitzroy, the first Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of Henry I and half-brother to Empress Matilda, and he carried out a programme of substantial rebuilding. It was described in 1138 as ‘rising on a vast mound, strengthened by wall and battlements’ (Ponsford, 1970). Bristol Castle became an important Royal stronghold, and historic documents describe various phases of refortification; repairs and improvements to existing structures; the addition of new buildings and periods of neglect. In 1239-42 the Great or King’s Hall was constructed towards the eastern end of the castle, although it may be that an earlier hall was substantially rebuilt. It was improved and embellished around 1250, and a record of repairs from 1441-2 includes expenses for improvements to the King’s, Prince’s and Queen’s chambers (Ponsford, see Sources) which formed part of the hall complex. In addition to the hall and chambers, there was also a chapel, a kitchen, a buttery and a pantry. The building was entered from the south-west via an entrance porch which dates from the mid-C13 and was extended northwards probably in the C14. The purpose of the additional room is unclear but it may have served as a second entrance.

Bristol Castle was described by the antiquarian, William of Worcester (also Worcestre) in the early 1480s as in ‘an extremely bad state of repair’. The Great Hall was ruinous and described as ‘formerly splendid in length, width and height', and the ‘'splendid' and 'very beautiful' chapel and chambers as 'roofless, bare and stripped of floors and ceilings' (Ponsford). The castle continued to serve some functions after this date, as a mint and as a prison, and was purchased by the Corporation of Bristol in 1630. During the Civil War it was refortified as a Parliamentarian stronghold, though later formed part of the city’s Royalist defences. In 1655 Parliament ordered its demolition and the site was then re-developed as a commercial district with roads, houses, shops and inns. On the site of the Great Hall a large house was built that incorporated medieval fabric, including the hall's former entrance porch, and is depicted on Millerd’s map of 1673 and in several early-C19 watercolour drawings. The house was later sub-divided into three dwellings; the medieval porch being part of 20 and 21 Tower Street. Number 20 was demolished in the 1930s and the remaining buildings were leased to Boots Chemist and formed its store. In 1936 the entrance porch, by then known as the Vaulted Chambers, was designated a scheduled monument (it was subsequently listed at Grade II in 1959). Boots, along with most other buildings on the former castle site, suffered extensive damage during a bombing raid in 1940 and had to be demolished. The Vaulted Chambers which was part of Boots, was also damaged, though mostly the rear section and repairs were carried out to stabilise it. It was compulsorily purchased by Bristol Corporation in 1951 but the building gradually deteriorated until it was restored in 1974 when Castle Park was laid out. The work included reinstating the pointed-arched openings to the front, rebuilding the rear elevation in brick and adding buttresses. The building was extended on its north side in the 1980s and a further programme of restoration carried out in 2019. It is currently (2022) a cafe.

Reasons for Listing

The vaulted chambers, the surviving C13 and C14 entrance porch to the former Great Hall (demolished in the C17) at Bristol Castle, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as the only upstanding element of the medieval Great Hall, it is a significant survival;
* the interior retains details such as ribbed vaulting, carved capitals and corbels which exhibit good craftsmanship and provide evidence for the architectural style of the period.

Historic interest:

* the castle has a long-standing and strong connection with the English monarchy from the C12 to the C17.

Group value:

* it has strong group value with the scheduled elements of the castle.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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