Features / history
The medieval secrets underneath one corner of Castle Park
A small concrete obelisk marks the entrance to a vaulted cellar that was underneath the heart of medieval Bristol.
The obelisk could soon be hidden from view as fencing begins to be installed around buildings in this corner of Castle Park due to be demolished to make way for the St Mary Le Port development.
Architects say the vaults underneath the pavement on High Street are in need of repair in order to address water ingress and damage to the medieval walls caused by tree roots.
One historian said the cellar’s beautiful rib vaulted ceilings “would not disgrace a Gothic cathedral” – photo: Martin Booth
There are no confirmed plans yet for a possible future use of the vaults, just one of a multitude of chambers that date back to the 12th century.
This part of the city is said to have been honeycombed with similar spaces, many of which were interlinked.
Despite the above-ground destruction during the Bristol Blitz, these medieval cellars were built to last, with some surviving direct hits during Luftwaffe raids.
In her book, Secret Underground Bristol, Sally Watson calls what is accessed down a rickety spiral staircase via a locked door on one side of the obelisk “some of the finest medieval cellars in Britain, with beautiful rib vaulted ceilings which would not disgrace a Gothic cathedral”.
Learn more about Castle Park and the Old City in a walking tour with Martin Booth. For more information and to book, visit www.yuup.co/experiences/explore-bristol-s-quirkiest-corners
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
