130-585: The Wye Valley Railway was a standard gauge railway that ran for nearly 15 miles (24 km) along the Lower Wye Valley between the towns of Chepstow and Monmouth , crossing several times between Wales and England . Opened on 1 November 1876, it was leased to, and worked by, the Great Western Railway (GWR), before being fully absorbed by the GWR in 1905. The line was built with
260-629: A county corporate . From the 13th to the 18th century, Bristol was among the top three English cities, after London, in tax receipts. A major port , Bristol was a starting place for early voyages of exploration to the New World. At the height of the Bristol slave trade , from 1700 to 1807, more than 2,000 slave ships carried an estimated 500,000 people from Africa to slavery in the Americas. The Port of Bristol has since moved from Bristol Harbour in
390-411: A statue of Colston was pulled down from its plinth by protestors and pushed into Bristol Harbour. The statue was recovered on 11 June and has become a museum exhibit. Bristol City council consists of 70 councillors representing 34 wards, with between one and three per ward serving four-year terms. As of May 2024, no party has an overall controlling majority, but Green Party are the largest group on
520-399: A basic staff and ticket system with three sections, Monmouth Troy to Wyesham Junction, Wyesham Junction to Tintern and Tintern to Wye Valley Junction. In addition, an electric train tablet system was installed, enabling long section working at quiet periods. The changes required staff at Monmouth Troy, Wyesham Junction, Redbrook, Bigsweir, Tintern, Tidenham and Wyesham Junction, resulting in
650-591: A car, van, motorbike or taxi, 2.2% commute by rail and 9.8% by bus, while 19.6% walk. The Runnymede Trust found in 2017 that Bristol "ranked 7th out of the 348 districts of England & Wales (1=worst) on the Index of Multiple Inequality." In terms of employment, the report found that "ethnic minorities are disadvantaged compared to white British people nationally, but this is to a greater extent in Bristol, particularly for black groups." Black people in Bristol experience
780-565: A commercial organisation, 'The Company Adventurers to the New Found Land', to assist their endeavours. However, they seem to have lost interest in North America after 1509, having incurred great expenses and made little profit. During the 16th century, Bristol merchants concentrated on developing trade with Spain and its American colonies. This included the smuggling of prohibited goods, such as food and guns, to Iberia during
910-417: A compulsory load line on ships. By 1867, ships were getting larger and the meanders in the river Avon prevented boats over 300 ft (90 m) from reaching the harbour, resulting in falling trade. The port facilities were migrating downstream to Avonmouth and new industrial complexes were founded there. Some of the traditional industries including copper and brass manufacture went into decline, but
1040-649: A country (for example, 1,440 mm or 4 ft 8 + 11 ⁄ 16 in to 1,445 mm or 4 ft 8 + 7 ⁄ 8 in in France). The first tracks in Austria and in the Netherlands had other gauges ( 1,000 mm or 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in in Austria for the Donau Moldau line and 1,945 mm or 6 ft 4 + 9 ⁄ 16 in in
1170-687: A developed area between the Bristol city boundary and the M4, M5 and M32 motorways (now in South Gloucestershire) was so named as part of a 1987 plan prepared by the Northavon District Council of Avon county. The West of England Combined Authority was created on 9 February 2017. Covering Bristol and the rest of the old Avon county with the exception of North Somerset, the new combined authority has responsibility for regional planning, roads, and local transport, and to
1300-436: A footpath, and the impressive 21-arch viaduct at Monmouth, although the central metal section above the river has been removed. The station building and goods shed at St Briavels Station are still mainly intact. Tintern station was purchased by the local county council and has operated as a visitor centre, cafe and museum since 1975. Monmouth Troy station building was removed from Monmouth and rebuilt at Winchcombe station on
1430-594: A gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,070 mm), was horse operated. It opened in stages between 1812 and 1817. At the same time the Severn and Wye Railway was under construction from the northern and western parts of the Forest to Lydney on the River Severn. Its first section opened as a plateway in 1810 and the line was converted to a broad gauge edge railway much later, in the 1860s. A main line railway came to
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#17327797850691560-509: A lesser extent, education and business investment. The authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England , Dan Norris . Bristol's boundaries can be defined in several ways, including those of the city itself, the developed area, or Greater Bristol . The city council boundary is the narrowest definition of the city itself. However, it unusually includes a large, roughly rectangular section of
1690-561: A prominent role in funding Richard Strongbow de Clare and the Norman invasion of Ireland . The port developed in the 11th century around the confluence of the Rivers Frome and Avon , adjacent to Bristol Bridge just outside the town walls. By the 12th century, there was an important Jewish community in Bristol which survived through to the late 13th century when all Jews were expelled from England. The stone bridge built in 1247
1820-733: A reassessment of the route of the line. In particular the route at Tintern took the line to the east of the town, and the station was some distance away. A petition was raised by residents and industrialists at Tintern, asking for a branch line to serve the Tintern town and the Wireworks factory there. This was agreed to, and a remarkable undertaking was given by the Wye Valley Company in the Wye Valley Railway Amendment Act 1875 ( 38 & 39 Vict. c. li):
1950-433: A significant increase in signalling costs. A rationalisation scheme was introduced in 1927 and several stations became unstaffed. The GWR constructed a series of halts throughout the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to increase passenger revenue. Llandogo Halt and Whitebrook Halt were opened in 1927, followed by Brockweir Halt in 1929, Penallt Halt and Wyesham Halt in 1931 and Netherhope Halt in 1932. Tutshill Halt
2080-510: A standard gauge of 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ), and those in Ireland to a new standard gauge of 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ). In Great Britain, Stephenson's gauge was chosen on the grounds that existing lines of this gauge were eight times longer than those of the rival 7 ft or 2,134 mm (later 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in or 2,140 mm ) gauge adopted principally by
2210-423: A time-consuming and expensive process. The result was the adoption throughout a large part of the world of a "standard gauge" of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ), allowing interconnectivity and interoperability. A popular legend that has circulated since at least 1937 traces the origin of the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge even further back than
2340-528: A train ran to Redbrook: "On Thursday a Great Western Railway Company's goods train ran from Monmouth to Redbrook and back, thereby opening up this portion of the Wye Valley line to goods traffic... An effort is being made to open the line for goods traffic through, from Monmouth to Redbrook and Tintern... On 29 September 1876 the line was inspected by Colonel Rich of the Board of Trade . The formal opening of
2470-475: Is 106 mi (171 km) west of London, 77 mi (124 km) south-southwest of Birmingham and 26 mi (42 km) east of the Welsh capital Cardiff . Areas adjoining the city fall within a loosely defined area known as Greater Bristol . Bath is located 11 mi (18 km) south east of the city centre, Weston-super-Mare is 18 mi (29 km) to the south west and the Welsh city of Newport
2600-503: Is 19 mi (31 km) to the north west. The climate is oceanic ( Köppen : Cfb) , milder than most places in England and United Kingdom. Located in southern England, Bristol is one of the warmest cities in the UK with a mean annual temperature of approximately 10.5 °C (50.9 °F). It is among the sunniest, with 1,541–1,885 hours of sunshine per year. Although the city
2730-766: Is currently operated by the Ghana Railway Company Limited . Kojokrom-Sekondi Railway Line (The Kojokrom-Sekondi line is a branch line that joins the Western Railway Line at Kojokrom ) Indian nationwide rail system ( Indian Railways ) uses 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge. 96% of the broad gauge network is electrified. The railway tracks of Java and Sumatra use 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Planned and under construction high-speed railways to use 1,668 mm ( 5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in ) to maintain interoperability with
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#17327797850692860-480: Is defined in U.S. customary / Imperial units as exactly "four feet eight and one half inches", which is equivalent to 1,435.1 mm. As railways developed and expanded, one of the key issues was the track gauge (the distance, or width, between the inner sides of the rails) to be used. Different railways used different gauges, and where rails of different gauge met – a " gauge break " – loads had to be unloaded from one set of rail cars and reloaded onto another,
2990-613: Is in the West of England combined authority area, which includes the Greater Bristol area ( eleventh most populous urban area in the United Kingdom) and nearby places such as Bath . Iron Age hillforts and Roman villas were built near the confluence of the rivers Frome and Avon. Bristol received a royal charter in 1155 and was historically divided between Gloucestershire and Somerset until 1373 when it became
3120-410: Is now 132. The diesel railcars represented an attempt to carry light passenger traffic at lower cost, but from the interwar period onwards competition from road transport increasingly undercut the line's income; goods traffic began to be transported by motor lorry and omnibuses reduced passenger income. This process continued relentlessly following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 . The line
3250-692: Is partially sheltered by the Mendip Hills, it is exposed to the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel . Rain is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with autumn and winter the wetter seasons. The Atlantic Ocean influences Bristol's weather, keeping its average temperature above freezing throughout the year, but winter frosts are frequent and snow occasionally falls from early November to late April. Summers are warm and drier, with variable sunshine, rain and clouds, and spring weather
3380-405: Is represented by 5 constituencies, East , North East , North West , South , and Central . The city has a tradition of political activism. Edmund Burke , MP for the Bristol constituency for six years beginning in 1774, insisted that he was a Member of Parliament first and a representative of his constituents' interests second. Women's-rights advocate Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence (1867–1954)
3510-571: Is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it. All high-speed rail lines use standard gauge except those in Russia , Finland , Uzbekistan , and some line sections in Spain . The distance between the inside edges of the rails is defined to be 1,435 mm except in the United States, Canada, and on some heritage British lines, where it
3640-1035: Is unsettled. The weather stations nearest Bristol for which long-term climate data are available are Long Ashton (about 5 mi (8 km) south west of the city centre) and Bristol Weather Station, in the city centre. Data collection at these locations ended in 2002 and 2001, respectively, and following the closure of Filton Airfield, Almondsbury is the nearest weather station to the city. Temperatures at Long Ashton from 1959 to 2002 ranged from 33.5 °C (92.3 °F) in July 1976 to −14.4 °C (6.1 °F) in January 1982. Monthly high temperatures since 2002 at Filton exceeding those recorded at Long Ashton include 25.7 °C (78.3 °F) in April 2003, 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) in July 2006 and 26.8 °C (80.2 °F) in October 2011. The lowest recent temperature at Filton
3770-596: Is unusual among major British towns and cities in its larger black than Asian population. These statistics apply to the Bristol Unitary Authority area, excluding areas of the urban area (2006 estimated population 587,400) in South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and North Somerset—such as Kingswood, Mangotsfield, Filton and Warmley. 56.2% of the 209,995 Bristol residents who are employed commute to work using either
3900-542: The Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) . Bristol's illicit trade grew enormously after 1558, becoming integral to its economy. The original Diocese of Bristol was founded in 1542, when the former Abbey of St. Augustine (founded by Robert Fitzharding four hundred years earlier) became Bristol Cathedral . Bristol also gained city status that year. In the 1640's, during the English Civil War ,
4030-921: The Ashton Court Estate , South Bristol crematorium and cemetery, High Ridge common and Whitchurch, with a further area around Frenchay Farm. The belt extends outside the city boundaries into surrounding counties and districts, for several miles in places, to afford a protection from urban sprawl to surrounding villages and towns. According to the 2011 census , 84% of the population was White (77.9% White British , 0.9% White Irish , 0.1% Gypsy or Irish Travellers and 5.1% Other White ); 3.6% mixed-race (1.7% white-and-black Caribbean, 0.4% white-and-black African, 0.8% white and Asian and 0.7% other mixed); 5.5% Asian (1.6% Pakistani , 1.5% Indian , 0.9% Chinese , 0.5% Bangladeshi , and 1% other Asian); 6% Black (2.8% African, 1.6% Caribbean , 1.6% Other Black ), 0.3% Arab and 0.6% with other heritage. Bristol
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4160-464: The Black Death of 1348–49, which checked population growth, and its population remained between 10,000 and 12,000 for most of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the 15th century, Bristol was the second most important port in the country, trading with Ireland, Iceland and Gascony . It was the starting point for many voyages, including Robert Sturmy 's (1457–58) unsuccessful attempt to break
4290-534: The IRA , in 1974 and again in 1978 . The 20th-century relocation of the docks to Avonmouth Docks and Royal Portbury Dock , 7 mi (11 km) downstream from the city centre, has allowed the redevelopment of the old dock area (the Floating Harbour). Although the docks' existence was once in jeopardy (since the area was seen as a derelict industrial site), the inaugural 1996 International Festival of
4420-453: The Kennet and Avon Canal , which had fully opened in 1810 as the main route for the transport of goods between Bristol and London. Competition from Liverpool (beginning around 1760), disruptions of maritime commerce due to war with France (1793) and the abolition of the slave trade (1807) contributed to Bristol's failure to keep pace with the newer manufacturing centres of Northern England and
4550-608: The Liverpool and Manchester Railway , authorised in 1826 and opened 30 September 1830. The extra half inch was not regarded at first as very significant, and some early trains ran on both gauges daily without compromising safety. The success of this project led to Stephenson and his son Robert being employed to engineer several other larger railway projects. Thus the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge became widespread and dominant in Britain. Robert
4680-647: The Memorial Stadium . The city has two universities; the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). It is connected to the world by Bristol Airport ; to the rest of the Great Britain via Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway mainline rail stations; by road by both the south-west to West Midlands M5 and the London to South Wales M4 (which connect to
4810-558: The West Midlands . The tidal Avon Gorge, which had secured the port during the Middle Ages, had become a liability. An 1804–09 plan to improve the city's port with a floating harbour designed by William Jessop was a costly error, requiring high harbour fees. During the 19th century, Samuel Plimsoll , known as "the sailor's friend", campaigned to make the seas safer; shocked by overloaded vessels, he successfully fought for
4940-697: The Western Valley line . As well as building a new line from Monmouth to Little Mill, (near Pontypool, on the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway ) to Monmouth, the CMU&;PR was authorised to purchase part of the Monmouth Railway and convert it to main line standards suitable for locomotive operation: this would form the section from Coleford to Monmouth. The CMU&PR opened from Little Mill to Usk on 2 June 1856, and on 12 October 1857 it
5070-600: The 12th century. An older form of the name survives as the surname Bristow , which is derived from the city. Archaeological finds, including flint tools believed to be between 300,000 and 126,000 years old made with the Levallois technique , indicate the presence of Neanderthals in the Shirehampton and St Annes areas of Bristol during the Middle Palaeolithic . Iron Age hill forts near
5200-582: The Future 's 2008 Sustainable Cities Index. Local initiatives include Sustrans (creators of the National Cycle Network , founded as Cyclebag in 1977) and Resourcesaver, a non-profit business established in 1988 by Avon Friends of the Earth. In 2014 The Sunday Times named it as the best city in Britain in which to live. The city received the 2015 European Green Capital Award , becoming
5330-553: The Great Western Company were insufficient to pay the interest on the 1875 debentures". There were serious irregularities with the company's financial management. It became evident that there had been financial impropriety on the part of the chairman, W. Hawes, and in March 1881 a shareholders' investigation into the financial affairs of the company was set up. The company likely went into receivership at this time. Hawes
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5460-543: The Great Western Railway with a view to the larger company buying the Wye Valley concern. The terms of sale to the GWR were finally agreed in December 1904. The GWR was to pay 2.5% of face value on ordinary shares, and 12.5% on preference shares. Ordinary shareholders had thus lost nearly all their money. The sale took formal effect on 1 July 1905. As the GWR had been working the line from the beginning, there
5590-840: The Great Western Railway. It allowed the broad-gauge companies in Great Britain to continue with their tracks and expand their networks within the "Limits of Deviation" and the exceptions defined in the Act. After an intervening period of mixed-gauge operation (tracks were laid with three rails), the Great Western Railway finally completed the conversion of its network to standard gauge in 1892. In North East England, some early lines in colliery ( coal mining ) areas were 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ), while in Scotland some early lines were 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ). The British gauges converged starting from 1846 as
5720-492: The Italian monopoly of Eastern Mediterranean trade. New exploration voyages were launched by Venetian John Cabot , who in 1497 made landfall in North America. A 1499 voyage, led by merchant William Weston of Bristol, was the first expedition commanded by an Englishman to North America . During the first decade of the 16th century Bristol's merchants undertook a series of exploration voyages to North America and even founded
5850-647: The Netherlands for the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij ), but for interoperability reasons (the first rail service between Paris and Berlin began in 1849, first Chaix timetable) Germany adopted standard gauges, as did most other European countries. The modern method of measuring rail gauge was agreed in the first Berne rail convention of 1886. Several lines were initially built as standard gauge but were later converted to another gauge for cost or for compatibility reasons. 2,295 km (1,426 mi) Victoria built
5980-628: The Sea held in and around the docks affirmed the area as a leisure asset of the city. From 2018, there were lively discussions about a new explicative plaque under a commemorative statue of one of the city's major benefactors in the 17th and 18th centuries. The plaque was meant to replace an original which made no reference to Edward Colston 's past with the Royal African Company and the Bristol Slave Trade . On 7 June 2020
6110-556: The Severn Tunnel now in course of construction." A further act of Parliament in 1874 authorised certain deviations of the formerly approved route, in particular affecting the crossing of the River Wye at Tintern, and the course down the eastern bank of the river. Construction was started at Tintern on 26 May 1874, the contractor Reid Brothers and Co having undertaken to complete the line by December 1875. The technical aspects of
6240-556: The Troy station to Wyesham opened on 1 July 1861. In 1865 definite proposals were put forward to build a railway from Monmouth to Chepstow. At Monmouth it was to make a junction with the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway 21 chains (1,400 ft; 420 m) east of the eastern end of its Wye River Bridge near Monmouth. The route was to follow the River Wye but the watercourse was extremely sinuous, and for much of its course it
6370-660: The Wye Valley Railway was changed to narrow gauge, no doubt recognising the reality that the South Wales Railway itself would eventually be converted. The Wye Valley Railway was authorised by the Wye Valley Railway Act 1866 ( 29 & 30 Vict. c. ccclvii) on 10 August 1866. Share capital was to be £230,000. It was to run from a junction with the CMU&PR at Wyesham, near Monmouth, to Wye Valley Junction, near Chepstow. The timing of
6500-597: The advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. By the 1890s, the entire network was converted to standard gauge. The Royal Commission made no comment about small lines narrower than standard gauge (to be called "narrow gauge"), such as the Ffestiniog Railway . Thus it permitted a future multiplicity of narrow gauges in the UK. It also made no comments about future gauges in British colonies, which allowed various gauges to be adopted across
6630-494: The arrest, trial and subsequent acquittal of a local slaver captain named Kimber. The city was associated with Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel , who designed the Great Western Railway between Bristol and London Paddington , two pioneering Bristol-built oceangoing steamships ( SS Great Britain and SS Great Western ), and the Clifton Suspension Bridge . The new railway replaced
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#17327797850696760-411: The authorisation was unfortunate, as on 10 May 1866 the banking firm of Overend, Gurney and Company suspended payments, having run out of money to discharge its liabilities, and the surrounding financial turmoil provoked a massive failure of the availability of investment money. The company found it impossible to secure the necessary capital, and the start of construction was much delayed. In fact nothing
6890-500: The branch was to be ready by 1 November 1874, and be for the exclusive use of the landowners. No charge was to be made for transportation on the branch. The company was to pay £3,086 for the land, but the branch was not to become part of the Wye Valley Railway Company undertakings without the consent of the landowners. The branch involved a substantial bridge over the river Wye, 207 feet (63 m) in length, but
7020-466: The branch was to serve industrial locations only. It had been anticipated that the line would be ready for traffic during 1875. It was announced in the press in April 1876 that "it has been decided to open the reach of the Wye Valley Railway, from Monmouth (Troy), to Redbrook, for goods traffic, this week. The line will be opened to Tintern for general traffic about Midsummer. The entire route to Chepstow will probably be opened next spring." On 8 June 1876
7150-560: The castle. A third bomb-damaged church nearby, St Nicholas was restored and after a period as a museum has now re-opened as a church. It houses a 1756 William Hogarth triptych painted for the high altar of St Mary Redcliffe . The church also has statues of King Edward I (moved from Arno's Court Triumphal Arch ) and King Edward III (taken from Lawfords' Gate in the city walls when they were demolished about 1760), and 13th-century statues of Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (builder of Bristol Castle ) and Geoffrey de Montbray (who built
7280-446: The ceremonial opening took place on 28 October 1876. This was for the directors and their friends, and the full public opening followed on 1 November 1876. The line was leased to, and worked by the Great Western Railway, for 55% of gross receipts for five years, and 50% thereafter. The line was single, with a passing loop at Tintern; there were four passenger trains and one goods train each way daily. There were four intermediate stations on
7410-537: The city was occupied by Royalists , who built the Royal Fort House on the site of an earlier Parliamentarian stronghold. Fishermen from Bristol, who had fished the Grand Banks of Newfoundland since the 16th century, began settling Newfoundland permanently in larger numbers during the 17th century, establishing colonies at Bristol's Hope and Cuper's Cove . Growth of the city and trade came with
7540-426: The city are at Leigh Woods and Clifton Down , on the side of the Avon Gorge , and on Kings Weston Hill near Henbury . A Roman settlement, Abona, existed at what is now Sea Mills (connected to Bath by a Roman road ); another was at the present-day Inns Court . Isolated Roman villas and small forts and settlements were also scattered throughout the area. Bristol was founded by 1000; by about 1020, it
7670-425: The city centre by the Portway and M32 ). Bristol was named the best city in Britain in which to live in 2014 and 2017; it won the European Green Capital Award in 2015. The name derives from the Old English Brycgstow , meaning "assembly place by the bridge" or simply "site of the bridge", presumably in reference to a crossing over the Avon. The final l is an unetymological addition that first appears in
7800-411: The city centre to the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock . The city's modern economy is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries; the city-centre docks have been redeveloped as cultural and heritage centres. There are a variety of artistic and sporting organisations and venues including the Royal West of England Academy , the Arnolfini , Ashton Gate and
7930-417: The city's walls) from Bristol's Newgate . The rebuilding of Bristol city centre was characterised by 1960s and 1970s skyscrapers , mid-century modern architecture and road building . Beginning in the 1980s some main roads were closed , the Georgian-era Queen Square and Portland Square were restored, the Broadmead shopping area regenerated, and one of the city centre's tallest mid-century towers
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#17327797850698060-876: The city, and its surrounding land has been protected from development as The Downs and Leigh Woods. The Avon estuary and the gorge form the county boundary with North Somerset , and the river flows into the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth . A smaller gorge, cut by the Hazel Brook which flows into the River Trym , crosses the Blaise Castle estate in northern Bristol. Bristol is sometimes described, by its inhabitants, as being built on seven hills, like Rome. From 18th-century guidebooks, these 7 hills were known as simply Bristol (the Old Town), Castle Hill, College Green, Kingsdown, St Michaels Hill, Brandon Hill and Redcliffe Hill. Other local hills include Red Lion Hill, Barton Hill , Lawrence Hill , Black Boy Hill, Constitution Hill, Staple Hill , Windmill Hill , Malborough Hill, Nine Tree Hill, Talbot, Brook Hill and Granby Hill. Bristol
8190-412: The city-council boundary, such as Kingswood , Mangotsfield , Stoke Gifford , Winterbourne , Almondsbury , Easton in Gordano , Whitchurch village, Filton , Patchway and Bradley Stoke , but excludes undeveloped areas within that boundary. Bristol lies within a limestone area running from the Mendip Hills in the south to the Cotswolds in the northeast. The rivers Avon and Frome cut through
8320-420: The coal mines of County Durham . He favoured 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) for wagonways in Northumberland and Durham , and used it on his Killingworth line. The Hetton and Springwell wagonways also used this gauge. Stephenson's Stockton and Darlington railway (S&DR) was built primarily to transport coal from mines near Shildon to the port at Stockton-on-Tees . Opening in 1825,
8450-433: The coalfields of northern England, pointing to the evidence of rutted roads marked by chariot wheels dating from the Roman Empire . Snopes categorised this legend as "false", but commented that it "is perhaps more fairly labeled as 'Partly true, but for trivial and unremarkable reasons. ' " The historical tendency to place the wheels of horse-drawn vehicles around 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) apart probably derives from
8580-426: The colonies. Parts of the United States, mainly in the Northeast, adopted the same gauge, because some early trains were purchased from Britain. The American gauges converged, as the advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. Notably, all the 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) broad gauge track in the South was converted to "almost standard" gauge 4 ft 9 in ( 1,448 mm ) over
8710-402: The construction were difficult, especially at the southern end of the route. There were two tunnels; the longer was Tidenham (or Denhill) tunnel. When completed it was 1,188 yards (1,086 m) in length (having been planned at 715 yards (654 m)). The actual construction cost of the line was £318,000, the greater part of the expenditure being on the tunnel. The delay to 1874 had resulted in
8840-399: The council. Between 2012 and 2024, the council was led by a directly elected mayor, the Mayor of Bristol . The post was abolished following a 2022 referendum, in which voters chose to replace it with a council committee system. The lord mayor of Bristol is a figurehead elected each May by the city council. The lord mayor is Councillor Andrew Varney. In the House of Commons , Bristol
8970-427: The country with 237, as against London's 147. It was a major supplier of slaves to South Carolina before 1750. The 18th century saw an expansion of Bristol's population (45,000 in 1750) and its role in the Atlantic trade in Africans taken for slavery to the Americas. Bristol and later Liverpool became centres of the Triangular Trade . Manufactured goods were shipped to West Africa and exchanged for Africans;
9100-459: The course of two days beginning on 31 May 1886. See Track gauge in the United States . In continental Europe, France and Belgium adopted a 1,500 mm ( 4 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 16 in ) gauge (measured between the midpoints of each rail's profile ) for their early railways. The gauge between the interior edges of the rails (the measurement adopted from 1844) differed slightly between countries, and even between networks within
9230-401: The early 1900s by the Royal Edward Dock. Another new dock, the Royal Portbury Dock , opened across the river from Avonmouth during the 1970s. As air travel grew in the first half of the century, aircraft manufacturers built factories. The unsuccessful Bristol International Exhibition was held on Ashton Meadows in the Bower Ashton area in 1914. After the premature closure of the exhibition
9360-467: The east bank of the Wye, the railway reached Redbrook station, crossing then to the west bank by Redbrook Viaduct, 101 yards (92 m). There was a halt at Whitebrook, and the next station was Bigsweir, adjacent to a road bridge over the Wye, but with little population nearby. The station name was later changed to St Briavels. Next was Llandogo Halt, serving a sizable community, and then Brockweir Halt, although
9490-539: The enslaved captives were transported across the Atlantic to the Americas in the Middle Passage under brutal conditions. Plantation goods such as sugar, tobacco, rum, rice, cotton and a few slaves (sold to the aristocracy as house servants) returned across the Atlantic to England. Some household slaves were baptised in the hope this would lead them to be freed. The Somersett Case of 1772 clarified that slavery
9620-521: The first UK city to receive this award. In 2019 Bristol City Council voted in favour of banning all privately owned diesel cars from the city centre. Since then, the plans have been revised in favour of a clean air zone whereby older and more polluting vehicles will be charged to drive through the city centre. The Clean Air Zone came into effect in November 2022. The city has green belt mainly along its southern fringes, taking in small areas within
9750-740: The first railways to the 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) Irish broad gauge. New South Wales then built to the standard gauge, so trains had to stop on the border and passengers transferred, which was only rectified in the 1960s. Queensland still runs on a narrow gauge but there is a standard gauge line from NSW to Brisbane. NMBS/SNCB 3,619 km (2,249 mi) Brussels Metro 40 km (25 mi) Trams in Brussels 140 km (87 mi) 1,032 km (641 mi) The Toronto Transit Commission uses 4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,495 mm ) gauge on its streetcar and subway lines. Takoradi to Sekondi Route,
9880-749: The heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway . In April 2021 the line from Tidenham to Tintern, including Tidenham Tunnel, was opened up for walkers and cyclists. It is known as the Wye Valley Greenway. Standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson ), international gauge , UIC gauge , uniform gauge , normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It
10010-461: The history of the Irish slave trade from Bristol, which he provocatively claimed continued into the reign of Henry VII . Hannah More , originally from Bristol, and a good friend of both Wilberforce and Clarkson, published "Slavery, A Poem" in 1788, just as Wilberforce began his parliamentary campaign. His major speech on 2 April 1792 likewise described the Bristol slave trade specifically, and led to
10140-490: The hope of becoming part of a through trunk route between Bristol and the industrial Midlands , a development which never took place. Although tourism provided some new passenger business in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, the line's income was always weak. After nationalisation, British Railways reviewed its viability and withdrew the passenger service on 5 January 1959. A limited goods and mineral service continued until 1964, after which residual traffic continued on
10270-539: The import and processing of tobacco flourished with the expansion of the W.D. & H.O. Wills business. Supported by new industry and growing commerce, Bristol's population (66,000 in 1801), quintupled during the 19th century, resulting in the creation of new suburbs such as Clifton and Cotham . These provide architectural examples from the Georgian to the Regency style, with many fine terraces and villas facing
10400-429: The initial gauge of 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) was set to accommodate the existing gauge of hundreds of horse-drawn chaldron wagons that were already in use on the wagonways in the mines. The railway used this gauge for 15 years before a change was made, debuting around 1850, to the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge. The historic Mount Washington Cog Railway ,
10530-541: The limestone to the underlying clay, creating Bristol's characteristically hilly landscape. The Avon flows from Bath in the east, through flood plains and areas which were marshes before the city's growth. To the west the Avon cuts through the limestone to form the Avon Gorge, formed largely by glacial meltwater after the last ice age . The gorge, which helped protect Bristol Harbour, has been quarried for stone to build
10660-477: The line climbed at 1 in 80 and then 1 in 100 to the southern end of Tidenham Tunnel. From there the line descended once more at 1 in 66 to Wye Valley Junction. Many of the line's structures are still in existence. The three former railway bridges across the River Wye are still standing: Penallt Viaduct, which now carries a footpath between Redbrook and Penallt, the Wireworks Branch bridge, also in use as
10790-408: The line took place on 19 October 1876, when the directors and their friends travelled over the line. The newspaper reports, no doubt fed by the company, insisted that this was "establishing a route of great importance for through traffic between Bristol and the West of England, and Birmingham, Liverpool and other towns in the north... The line will not be opened to the public until 1 November." In fact
10920-565: The line, and trains ran from the existing station at Monmouth to Chepstow or Portskewett (for the Bristol ferry) on the South Wales Main Line. The intermediate stations on the line were Redbrook , Bigsweir , Tintern and Tidenham . At Monmouth the new line used the Wyesham extension of the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway. The financial state of the company was poor from the outset; construction had cost more that
11050-428: The natural beauty of the Wye Valley was expected to encourage revenue from that source. The South Wales Railway had been constructed on the broad gauge, and it was assumed at first that the line from Monmouth would join it at Chepstow, and also be constructed on that gauge. The Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway was built on the narrow gauge (as standard gauge was then known), but interchange with that line
11180-465: The nearby Forest of Dean was the source of a considerable output of minerals – coal, iron ore and stone – and the poor road network in the Forest had led early on to the provision of tramways there on a small scale. A more ambitious scheme resulted in the Monmouth Railway , which ran from east of Coleford to Monmouth at May Hill, on the east side of the River Wye. This toll plateway , with
11310-495: The neighbouring village of Kingswood , often in the open air. Wesley published a pamphlet on slavery, titled Thoughts Upon Slavery, in 1774 and the Society of Friends began lobbying against slavery in Bristol in 1783. The city's scions remained nonetheless strongly anti-abolitionist. Thomas Clarkson came to Bristol to study the slave trade and gained access to the Society of Merchant Venturers records. One of his contacts
11440-438: The north of the region. Coleford was considered the capital of the Forest of Dean and it was the mineral production of the immediate area that encouraged railway access. The Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway was authorised in 1853, intended to convey iron ore output by a shorter route than hitherto, to the ironworks of Nantyglo , Dowlais and Ebbw Vale . Its route would avoid the steep ascent, for loaded trains, of
11570-607: The old 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) plateway was relaid to 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) so that Blenkinsop's engine could be used. Others were 4 ft 4 in ( 1,321 mm ) (in Beamish ) or 4 ft 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,410 mm ) (in Bigges Main (in Wallsend ), Kenton , and Coxlodge ). English railway pioneer George Stephenson spent much of his early engineering career working for
11700-436: The rails is better, thus the minimum distance between the wheels (and, by extension, the inside faces of the rail heads ) was the important one. A standard gauge for horse railways never existed, but rough groupings were used; in the north of England none was less than 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ). Wylam colliery's system, built before 1763, was 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ), as was John Blenkinsop 's Middleton Railway ;
11830-679: The railway diverged from the River, passing through Tidenham Tunnel, 1,190 yards (1,090 m), to Netherhope Halt. Next passing the location of the later Tidenham Quarry (or Dayhouse Quarry), the line joined the Gloucester to South Wales Line at Wye Valley Junction. Following the main line, Tutshill Halt was next, served by branch trains, followed by Chepstow station. On leaving Monmouth, the line climbed at 1 in 66 to Wyesham Junction, then fell at 1 in 80 to Redbrook. From there minor undulations followed for some distance until just before Tintern, where
11960-486: The region when the South Wales Railway opened from 1850; it eventually completed a through line from Milford Haven to London in association with its ally, the Great Western Railway . Settlements connected to a railway line found that the cost of materials brought in became much cheaper, and local produce found better prices at market. The Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway was opened in 1855 crossing
12090-566: The request of the Great Western Railway Company." Much was made in this period of an extension at Chepstow to wharves there, giving access to shipping on the River Severn. The expenditure proved fruitless, and at a shareholders' meeting in September 1881 the chairman "did not see any prospect of their becoming profitable to the company". At that time "the gross receipts of the line had fallen off. The net receipts from
12220-495: The rest of the line was abandoned when Tidenham Quarry closed on 29 March 1990. The northern terminal of the line was the Troy station at Monmouth, on the line from Little Mill Junction, near Pontypool to Ross-on-Wye. The line left the station in an easterly direction, and immediately crossed the River Wye and adjacent low-lying ground by a viaduct. Wyesham Junction followed, where the Coleford Railway diverged. Following
12350-411: The rest of the network. All other railways use 1,668 mm ( 5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in ) ( broad gauge ) and/or 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge . BLS , Rigi Railways (rack railway) 449 km Several states in the United States had laws requiring road vehicles to have a consistent gauge to allow them to follow ruts in
12480-433: The rise of England's American colonies in the 17th century. Bristol's location on the west side of Great Britain gave its ships an advantage in sailing to and from the New World, and the city's merchants made the most of it, with the city becoming one of the two leading outports in all of England by the middle of the 18th century. Bristol was the slave capital of England: In 1755, it had the largest number of slave traders in
12610-415: The river, running through Tintern Tunnel, 182 yards (166 m), to penetrate the spur of the hill, and running on the eastern side of the Wye. Immediately south of the tunnel the Wireworks branch trailed in. It served the tinplate works at Abbey Hill and had its own substantial bridge of 69 yards (63 m) span, crossing the Wye. Tintern Quarry was located some distance further south, and after that point
12740-550: The road, and at right angles to it. In the early 19th century, the romantic medieval gothic style appeared, partially as a reaction against the symmetry of Palladianism , and can be seen in buildings such as the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery , the Royal West of England Academy , and The Victoria Rooms . Riots broke out in 1793 and 1831; the first over the renewal of tolls on Bristol Bridge, and
12870-539: The road. Those gauges were similar to railway standard gauge. Bristol Bristol ( / ˈ b r ɪ s t əl / ) is a city , unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England , the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon , it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. The county
13000-513: The second against the rejection of the second Reform Bill by the House of Lords . The population by 1841 had reached 140,158. The Diocese of Bristol had undergone several boundary changes by 1897 when it was "reconstituted" into the configuration which has lasted into the 21st century. From a population of about 330,000 in 1901, Bristol grew steadily during the 20th century, peaking at 428,089 in 1971. Its Avonmouth docklands were enlarged during
13130-517: The site was used, until 1919, as barracks for the Gloucestershire Regiment during World War I . Bristol was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe raids during World War II ; about 1,300 people living or working in the city were killed and nearly 100,000 buildings were damaged, at least 3,000 beyond repair. The original central shopping area, near the bridge and castle, is now a park containing two bombed churches and fragments of
13260-410: The situation, and achieving a partial financial recovery, the CMU&PR set about building the bridge and viaduct to cross the River Wye at Monmouth, and extend its line as far as a mineral depot at Wyesham, one mile (1.6 km) from Monmouth. A transshipment facility was set up there, and the Monmouth Railway continued to operate, unmodernised, as far as that point. The extension of the CMU&PR from
13390-403: The socioeconomic circumstances of the city's Afro-Caribbean residents. Local support of fair trade was recognised in 2005, when Bristol became a fairtrade zone . Bristol is both a city and a county, since King Edward III granted it a county charter in 1373. The county was expanded in 1835 to include suburbs such as Clifton , and it was named a county borough in 1889 when that designation
13520-648: The southern end of the route to Tintern Quarry , until 1981, and Dayhouse Quarry, near Tidenham , until 1990. The town of Monmouth had become an important regional centre by the 19th century, with a developing local industry. Communication with Chepstow, on the River Severn , had long been undertaken by river transport along the River Wye or on the roads following the Wye Valley , and some mineral industries had been established along this route. By contrast,
13650-581: The summer. In the 1930s diesel railcars were introduced for use on the lightly used passenger services; the Railway Magazine reported in May 1936: On March 23, railcar no. 14 entered service to work 17 existing steam-train services, and also to provide two new passenger services, in the Newport, Chepstow, Monmouth, Pontypool Road, Panteg and Blaenavon area... The daily number of diesel railcar services
13780-492: The term "narrow gauge" for gauges less than standard did not arise for many years, until the first such locomotive-hauled passenger railway, the Ffestiniog Railway , was built. In 1845, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , a Royal Commission on Railway Gauges reported in favour of a standard gauge. The subsequent Gauge Act ruled that new passenger-carrying railways in Great Britain should be built to
13910-426: The village of Brockweir was on the other side of the river, requiring a ferry crossing until a bridge was built in 1906. South of Brockweir the river makes a considerable westward loop, and a railway alignment directly serving Tintern would have been challenging. Instead the line provided a Tintern station some distance east of the community; it was the only passing place on the line. The route continued south, crossing
14040-540: The western Severn Estuary ending at (but not including) the islands of Flat Holm (in Cardiff , Wales) and Steep Holm . This "seaward extension" can be traced back to the original boundary of the County of Bristol laid out in the charter granted to the city by Edward III in 1373. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has defined a Bristol Urban Area , which includes developed areas adjoining Bristol but outside
14170-479: The width needed to fit a carthorse in between the shafts. Research, however, has been undertaken to support the hypothesis that "the origin of the standard gauge of the railway might result from an interval of wheel ruts of prehistoric ancient carriages". In addition, while road-travelling vehicles are typically measured from the outermost portions of the wheel rims, it became apparent that for vehicles travelling on rails, having main wheel flanges that fit inside
14300-426: The world's first mountain -climbing rack railway , is still in operation in the 21st century, and has used the earlier 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) gauge since its inauguration in 1868. George Stephenson introduced the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge (including a belated extra 1 ⁄ 2 in (13 mm) of free movement to reduce binding on curves ) for
14430-535: Was a trading centre with a mint producing silver pennies bearing its name. By 1067, Brycgstow was a well-fortified burh , and that year the townsmen beat back a raiding party from Ireland led by three of Harold Godwinson 's sons. Under Norman rule, the town had one of the strongest castles in southern England . Bristol was the place of exile for Diarmait Mac Murchada , the Irish king of Leinster , after being overthrown. The Bristol merchants subsequently played
14560-417: Was added in 1934 on the main line between Chepstow and Wye Valley Junction. The scenic beauty of the lower Wye Valley was utilised by the GWR in campaigns to encourage tourism, and this traffic provided a sizeable proportion of the line's income. Excursions were run from Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cardiff to Tintern for visitors to Tintern Abbey , and there was also an enhanced regular passenger service during
14690-576: Was born in Bristol, and the left-winger Tony Benn served as MP for Bristol South East in 1950–1960 and again from 1963 to 1983. In 1963 the Bristol Bus Boycott , following the Bristol Omnibus Company 's refusal to hire black drivers and conductors, drove the passage of the UK's 1965 Race Relations Act . The 1980 St. Pauls riot protested against racism and police harassment and showed mounting dissatisfaction with
14820-539: Was budgeted and the company operated at a loss. New preference stock was issued soon after the line's opening: the Morning Post reported that the company was "issuing £105,000 [of] 5% preference stock ... for the completion of ... the new wharves at Chepstow; branches to tinplate-works and other works and mills on the line, about one mile (1.6 km) in length; the Brockweir bridge and enlarged sidings, made at
14950-586: Was demolished. Bristol's road infrastructure changed dramatically during the 1960s and 1970s with the development of the M4 and M5 motorways , which meet at the Almondsbury Interchange just north of the city and link Bristol with London (M4 eastbound), Swansea (M4 westbound across the Severn Estuary ), Exeter (M5 southbound) and Birmingham (M5 northbound). Bristol was bombed twice by
15080-399: Was done for several years, and as the authorising act specified a time limit, it was necessary to obtain a further act of Parliament allowing an extension of time. This was the Wye Valley Railway Amendment Act 1871 ( 34 & 35 Vict. c. xlix) of 16 June 1871. Still it proved impossible to get subscriptions, and a financial launch in 1874 offered £230,000 of shares to the public. Confidence
15210-592: Was hemmed in by steep hills. The 1865 projected route was submitted to Parliament in the 1866 session; the line was to be called the Wye Valley Railway . Extremely optimistic forecasts were circulated by the promoters, including the assertion that the line would form part of an artery to the North of England from Bristol , when the Severn Tunnel was opened. Tourism was becoming an important factor, and
15340-472: Was illegal in England. At the height of the Bristol slave trade from 1700 to 1807, more than 2,000 slave ships carried a conservatively estimated 500,000 people from Africa to slavery in the Americas. In 1739, John Wesley founded the first Methodist chapel, the New Room , in Bristol. Wesley, along with his brother Charles Wesley and George Whitefield , preached to large congregations in Bristol and
15470-466: Was intended to be inspired by the assurance that the Great Western Railway were to work the line, guaranteeing (it was claimed) 6% on capital for five years. The railway was to "open a new and much shorter route from Liverpool and the north, Birmingham and the Midland districts, to Newport, Cardiff, Bristol and the West of England, and this through route will be very materially improved on the completion of
15600-633: Was introduced. On 1 April 1974, Bristol became a local government district of the county of Avon . On 1 April 1996, Avon was abolished and Bristol became a unitary authority . The former Avon area, called Greater Bristol by the Government Office of the South West (now abolished) and others, refers to the city and the three neighbouring local authorities— Bath and North East Somerset , North Somerset and South Gloucestershire previously in Avon. The North Fringe of Bristol ,
15730-466: Was nevertheless ready for traffic on 6 August 1875, although the Wye Valley Railway main line was not yet open. Meanwhile, the Wireworks, the principal producer of business on the line, had ceased trading. The line lay dormant until the early 1880s when the Abbey Wire and Tinplate Company established a business there, but this ceased trading in 1901. However the hoped-for passenger station was not made:
15860-678: Was no obvious outward change so far as the travelling public were concerned. The Ross and Monmouth Railway opened on 4 August 1873, but it stopped short at the May Hill station in Monmouth, until the Ross company's own bridge over the Wye was ready; the connection to Troy station was opened on 1 May 1874. In 1907, soon after purchasing the line, the Great Western Railway implemented an electric token signalling system in order to allow more frequent trains. The railway had previously been operated under
15990-574: Was not considered important. Nevertheless, national government had taken an interest in the gauge of new and existing railways, and a Gauge Commission had been appointed to recommend policy. This recommended that no new lines should be built on the broad gauge, except for certain designated extensions to the existing broad gauge network. This resulted in the Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846 , which mandated that recommendation. The intended gauge of
16120-476: Was opened as far as Monouth Troy station . Reaching Coleford, the primary object of building the line, required a crossing of the River Wye, and conversion of the Monmouth Railway. As well as relaying all of its permanent way, this would have involved considerable realignment to smooth out the worst of the sharp tramroad curves, and opening out the tunnel profile. However at this stage the CMU&PR had largely exhausted its financial resources. After taking stock of
16250-399: Was ousted and a new chairman, A. Jerrard, was appointed. Only one dividend was ever paid by the company, and this was during the construction period. Efforts were made to improve the line's financial position, but these were unsuccessful and the company went into receivership for a second time in 1889. By then it had become obvious that the company was unviable, and discussions took place with
16380-413: Was replaced by the current bridge during the 1760s. The town incorporated neighbouring suburbs and became a county in 1373, the first town in England to be given this status. During this period, Bristol became a shipbuilding and manufacturing centre. By the 14th century, Bristol, York and Norwich were England's largest medieval towns after London. One-third to one-half of the population died in
16510-533: Was reported to have said that if he had had a second chance to choose a gauge, he would have chosen one wider than 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ). "I would take a few inches more, but a very few". During the " gauge war " with the Great Western Railway , standard gauge was called " narrow gauge ", in contrast to the Great Western's 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ) broad gauge . The modern use of
16640-430: Was said to be losing £20,000 on its passenger operation, and the decision was taken to stop running passenger trains. The last such train ran on 4 January 1959. A limited goods train operation continued, but that too was unsustainable and ceased on 6 January 1964. Freight traffic continued on the southern half of the route between Chepstow and Tintern Quarry. The section from Tidenham to Tintern Quarry closed in 1981, and
16770-460: Was the owner of the Seven Stars public house , who boarded sailors Clarkson sought to meet. Through these sailors he was able to observe how slaver captains and first mates "plied and stupefied seamen with drink" to sign them up. Other informants included ship surgeons and seamen seeking redress. When William Wilberforce began his parliamentary abolition campaign on 12 May 1788, he recalled
16900-463: Was −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) in December 2010. Although large cities in general experience an urban heat island effect, with warmer temperatures than their surrounding rural areas, this phenomenon is minimal in Bristol. Bristol was ranked as Britain's most sustainable city (based on its environmental performance, quality of life, future-proofing and approaches to climate change, recycling and biodiversity), topping environmental charity Forum for
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