Underneath The Arches

A beautiful day, and a morning trip into Bristol. After the errands were completed, the original plan was to visit the temporary exhibition of the entire collection of 80 Gromits that are on display for 5 days, prior to being auctioned off for charity. However, after having been on the local news on Wednesday, when the queuing time was around an hour, the exhibition was attracting so many people that yesterday’s average queuing time had increased to 3 hours! As much as I would have liked to have seen Gromit, 3 hours was just too long to queue. And who knows, today the queue might have been even longer!! So instead a lazy self-indulgent afternoon, enjoying the sun in the garden, and finishing off my book.

This is a view from the entrance to The Corn Exchange and St Nicholas Market in Corn Street, at the heart of Bristol’s Old City.

Corn Street largely escaped destruction during the Bristol Blitz and The Corn Exchange is the only surviving 18th-century exchange building in England. Before The Exchange was built in 1741, merchants used to conduct business in the street, where transactions were agreed by striking one of the ‘Nails’, four flat topped pillars that are still in Corn Street today. This practice gave rise to the expression, “to pay on the Nail”. St Nicholas Market was built next door to the Exchange in 1743 for the sale of fruit and vegetables and still trades today.

The banks that used to line Corn Street have moved out and the buildings are now a mixture of bars, restaurants and cafes. It’s now a pleasant place to wander, especially at the weekend, as since the end of August the area has been closed to road traffic: “The move is part of the Mayor’s ambition to improve the public realm of the Old City, increasing its attraction as a visitor destination and supporting the economy of the area. He wants to see the area opened up to visitors, letting them browse shops and stalls and enjoy street cafes free of traffic hazards and pollution.” Bristol City Council

Worth a visit if you’re in the area!