Queen Square, Bristol

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Queen Square
latitude= 51.450
longitude= -2.595
map_type= Bristol
civil_parish=
population =
unitary_england= Bristol
lieutenancy_england=
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Bristol West
post_town= BRISTOL
postcode_district = BS1 4xx
postcode_area= BS
dial_code= 0117
os_grid_reference= ST591722

Queen Square is a public open space in the centre of the historic city of Bristol, England.

The square was planned in 1699 and building finished in 1727. The north side and much of the west were destroyed in the Bristol Riots of 1831 and rebuilt. Many of the buildings now having listed building status.

In 1937 the inner city ring road was driven diagonally across the square but in 2000 it was removed and the open space restored.

Statue

In the centre of the square is an idealised equestrian statue of William III by John Michael Rysbrack, cast in 1733 and erected in 1736 to signify the city's loyalty. The brass statue is on a Portland ashlar pedestal with a moulded plinth and cornice. A grade I listed building. [cite web | title=Equestrian statue of William III | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380268 | accessdate=2007-02-22]

Architecture

The north side contains the "Custom House" (1835-7) by Sydney Smirke, (II* listed), [cite web | title=Custom House and attached rear area wall and piers | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380267 | accessdate=2007-02-22] and a terrace (1833) by Henry Rumley, which are now offices, (II* listed). [cite web | title=Terrace of 9 houses, now offices | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380246 | accessdate=2007-02-22]

The east side contains some 20th century buildings and the Port Authority Office (1889) by William Venn Gough. The Sailors Refuge which makes up nos 27-29 dates from 1709-11 and is II* listed. [cite web | title=No.29 Sailor's Refuge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380252 | accessdate=2007-02-22] The south side contains varied 18th century buildings. Two are by R.S. Pope. The west side was rebuilt in the 1830s after the riot, largely by Henry Rumley, some of which are still private houses but many are offices. [cite web | title=No.51 Phoenix House and attached railings and piers | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380257 | accessdate=2007-02-22] [cite web | title=No.56 | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380261 | accessdate=2007-02-22] [cite web | title=No.57 | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380262 | accessdate=2007-02-22] [cite web | title=No.58 | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380263 | accessdate=2007-02-22] [cite web | title=No.59-62 | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=380264 | accessdate=2007-02-22]

Residents

In the 18th century, Queens Square was the place to live in Bristol, particularly among the Merchant class (plantation and slave owners).

The famous privateer Woodes Rogers had a house on the west side Queens Square. There is a plaque that commemorates this on a building that now occupies the site of his former home.

After the American Revolution, the former colonies of America had their first Embassy in Queens Square.

Riot

The Bristol Riots of 1831 took place after the House of Lords rejected the second Reform Bill, which aimed to get rid of some of the rotten boroughs and give Britain's fast growing industrial towns such as Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Leeds, greater representation in the House of Commons. Bristol had been represented in the House of Commons since 1295, however by 1830 only 6,000 of the 104,000 population had the vote. [cite web | title=Bristol riots | work=Spartacus Education | url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRbristol.htm | accessdate=2007-03-07]

Local magistrate Sir Charles Wetherall, a strong opponent of the Bill, visited Bristol to open the new Assize Courts, on 29 October. He threatened to imprison participants in a disturbance going on outside, and an angry mob chased him to the Mansion House in Queen Square. The magistrate escaped in disguise but the mayor and officials were besieged in the Mansion-house. [cite web | title=The Bristol 1832 Reform Bill riots | work=The Vistorian Web | url=http://www.victorianweb.org/history/bristol.html | accessdate=2007-03-07]

The rioters numbered about 500 or 600 young men and continued for three days, during which the palace of the Bishop of Bristol, the mansion of the Lord Mayor of Bristol, and private homes and property were looted and destroyed, along with demolition of much of the gaol. Work on the Clifton Suspension Bridge was halted and Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself was sworn in as a special constable.cite web | title=Revolting riots in Queen Square | work=BBC Bristol | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/madeinbristol/2004/04/riot/riot.shtml | accessdate=2007-03-07]

Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Brereton of the Dragoons led a charge with drawn swords through the mob in Queen Square. Hundreds were killed and wounded and the mob dispersed. Brereton was later court-martialled for leniency because he had refused to open fire on the crowds, but shot himself before the conclusion of his trial. About 100 people involved were tried in January 1832 by Chief Justice Tindal.cite book | title=Trials of the persons concerned in the late riots | publisher=Philip Rose | place=Broadmead, Bristol | year=1832] Four men were hanged despite a petition of 10,000 Bristolian signatures, which was given to King William IV.

Modern times

Some of the buildings in Queens Square fell victim to the Blitz and others to the developers in Post War Britain. In the 1960s some of the houses in Queens Square were pulled down to make way for a ring road onto Redcliffe Way.

Since the removal of the ring road in 2000 the square has become much quieter and the open space has been restored. Many of the buildings are used as offices. Current residents include restaurants (e.g. [http://www.queen-square.com/ Queen Square Dining Room] ), lawyers (e.g. [http://www.queensquarechambers.co.uk/cms/page/homepage.html Queen Square Chambers] ), patent agents (e.g. Mewburn Ellis) and pubs (e.g. the Hole in the Wall). The Hole in the Wall is on the corner of Queen Square nearest the docks used to be called the Coach and Horses in the past and was frequented by sailors and press gangs (recruiting for the British Navy) in the 18th century.

The green in the centre of the square is often used for public events, mostly in the summer months.

References

* Andrew Foyle, "Bristol", Pevsner Architectural Guides (2004) ISBN 0-300-10442-1