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Christmas Steps, Bristol

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Coordinates: 51°27′22″N 2°35′48″W / 51.4561°N 2.5968°W / 51.4561; -2.5968
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Christmas Steps
Looking down Christmas Steps
Christmas Steps is located in Bristol
Christmas Steps
Christmas Steps
Location within Bristol
OS grid referenceST586731
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRISTOL
Postcode districtBS
Dialling code0117
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
List of places
UK
England
Bristol
51°27′22″N 2°35′48″W / 51.4561°N 2.5968°W / 51.4561; -2.5968

Christmas Steps is a historic street in the city centre of Bristol, England.

Name

The medieval name for this street was Knifesmith Street.[1] In Middle English the 'K' in 'knife' and 'knight' was sounded. It seems likely 'Knifesmith Street' became corrupted over time to 'Christmas Street'. In William Worcestre's 1480 itinerary of Bristol, he describes it as 'knyfesmythstrete aliter [alius] Cristmastrete'[2] The street continued to be recorded as 'Christmas Street' in the official town rentals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.[3] This is also how it is recorded in the Hearth Tax Books of Bristol in the 1660s.[4] The steep upper part of the street became known locally as 'Christmas Steps' after it was 'steppered down' in 1669. The lower part of the road, leading to St John's Gate, continued to be called Christmas Street.

According to the late-seventeenth century stone plaque at the top of the steps, the upper part of the street was renamed 'Queene Streete' during the mayoralty of Sir Robert Yeamans (1669/70).[5] In the words of an eighteenth-century Bristol chronicler 'Jonathan Blackwell Vintner new erected and built Saint Michaels Hill steps at his own costs and called it by the name of Queen Street'.[6]

The steps are labelled 'Queene Str' in the 1673 Millerd Map of Bristol[7] and the updated 1728 version of Millerd's map.[8] The Rocque Map of 1743 labels the steps 'Queen Str. or Stipe Str.'[9] The steps were described as 'Queen Str Steps' in the 1824 Ashmead map of Bristol and 'Queen Street' in the 1874 Ashmead Map.[10] However, by the time of the official town plans of Bristol (1879–88), as well as the first Ordnance Survey maps of the late nineteenth century, the street is described as 'Christmas Steps'.[11] It seems likely that this represented a reversion to a name that had never gone out of local use.

The steps were also sometimes referred to as Lunsford's Stairs.[12] This was in honour of a Cavalier officer Colonel Henry (Thomas in some sources) Lunsford, who was shot through the heart in the street on 26 July 1643 while taking part in the Storming of Bristol during the English Civil War.[13] While there is no evidence the street was formally renamed, Jonathan Blackwell, who built the steps, was a royalist.

After the main set of steps, the steps continue on the other side of Colston Street (1870) and then again across Perry Road (1868), leading to St Michael on the Mount Without. These steps were originally unbroken by the 2 roads and known as St. Michael's steps (on the 1855 G C Ashmead map).[14]

History

The steep-slanted steps were constructed in September 1669 and were paid for by wealthy wine merchant, Jonathan Blackwell.[15] Prior to this there had been a steep, muddy and narrow street leading from the bridge over the Frome outside the city walls near the old St Bartholomew's Hospital, towards St Michael's church.[16]

At the top of the steps, the stairs are flanked by stone alcoves, similar in design to the stone alcove seats found in many churches. These were presumably to allow people to rest on the long climb up to St Michael's. The steps and the alcoves were rebuilt from 1865 - 1881. They are classified as are grade II listed buildings by Historic England.[17].

Christmas Steps are now home to a variety of small shops, galleries, cafes and bars, also known as 'Christmas Steps Arts Quarter'.[18]

The listed buildings on the steps include:

  • No.1 The Sugar Loaf Public House c1720[19]
  • No 12 c1800[20]
  • No 13 & 14 c1800[21]
  • No 15 Late C17, refronted early C19[22]
  • No 16 early C19[23]
  • N0 18-19 early C19[24]
  • No 20 early C19[25]
  • No 3 c1800[26]
  • No 4 c1800[27]
  • No 5 c1800[28]
  • No 6 & 7 c1800[29]
  • The song Christmas Steps by Mogwai is named after the street.
  • Appears in the last chapter of Terry Pratchett's novel Dodger as the location of the pharmacist where Dodger buys hair dyes to disguise himself and Simplicity.
  • Looking up Christmas Steps
    Looking up Christmas Steps
  • Plaque at top of Christmas Steps
    Plaque at top of Christmas Steps
  • Metal sign at the top of Christmas Steps
    Metal sign at the top of Christmas Steps
  • Alcoves at the top of Christmas Steps
    Alcoves at the top of Christmas Steps

References

  1. ^ Richard Coates, 'Some local place-names in medieval and early-modern Bristol', Transactions of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, Vol. 129 (2011)' p. 164.
  2. ^ Frances Neale (ed.), William Worcestre: The Topography of Medieval Bristol (Bristol Record Society Publications, Vol. LI, Bristol, 2000), p. 62
  3. ^ D[orothy M. Livock (ed.), City Chamberlains' Accounts in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (Bristol Record Society publications, Vol. XXIV, Bristol, 1966)]
  4. ^ Roger Leech, Jonathan Barry, Alison Brown, Catherine Ferguson and Elizabeth Parkinson (eds.), The Bristol Hearth Tax 1662-1673 (Bristol Record Society Publications, Vol. LXX, Bristol, 2018)
  5. ^ 'Plaque on Christmas Steps, Bristol'
  6. ^ Evan T. Jones (ed.), Bristol Annal: Bristol Archives 09594/1 (University of Bristol, 2019), p.76
  7. ^ 'James' Millerd's Map of Bristol,' (1673)
  8. ^ 'The 1728 version of James Millerd's map of Bristol, originally published in 1671'
  9. ^ 'A Plan of the City of Bristol survey'd and Drawn by John Rocque' (1743)
  10. ^ 'Know your Place, Bristol'
  11. ^ 'Know your Place, Bristol'
  12. ^ Plaque commemorating Colonel Henry Lunsford
  13. ^ "Christmas Steps: Ghosts, myths and fish 'n' chips". BBC. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  14. ^ 'Know your Place, Bristol'
  15. ^ 'Plaque on Christmas Steps, Bristol'
  16. ^ "Christmas Steps". About Bristol. Archived from the original on 26 July 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  17. ^ "Four flights of steps, niches flanking top flight and plaque". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  18. ^ https://www.christmasstepsartsquarter.co.uk/
  19. ^ "No.1 The Sugar Loaf Public House". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  20. ^ "No.12 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  21. ^ "No.13&14 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  22. ^ "No.15 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  23. ^ "No.16 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  24. ^ "No.17-19 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  25. ^ "No.20 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  26. ^ "No.3 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  27. ^ "No.4 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  28. ^ "No.5 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  29. ^ "No.6 & 7 Christmas Steps". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
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