Palace Hotel, Bristol
| Palace Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Bristol | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′24″N 2°34′48″W / 51.456581°N 2.579910°W |
| Completed | c 1860 |
The Palace Hotel (also known as The Gin Palace") is a historic public house situated on West Street, Old Market, Bristol. It is a grade II listed building.[1] Its exterior ornamentation includes two Assyrian-style hermai.[2]
History
The Palace Hotel was built in 1869 for the wine and spirits merchant, John Sharp.[3] At that time it was thought that a new Great Western Railway main station was going to be established nearby. For that reason it was to be called the Railway Hotel[4] – but Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Bristol Temple Meads railway station was built half a mile south, so trade was less than expected.[5] A smaller Midland Railway terminus, Bristol St Philip's railway station, was opened nearby but this was closed in 1953 and subsequently demolished.
The bar has a sloping floor.[6]
In 2000 Thomas Brooman, co-founder and managing director of World of Music, Arts and Dance took charge of the Palace.[7] He spent much time and money bringing the place up to the high standard for which it is worthy but after 5 years decided it was time to move on. The Palace finally closed its doors in mid-2005 and was sold. The following year the new owner submitted a planning application to change its use to an estate agent's office. In August 2008, further applications were pending, with vigorous counter moves to restore it to a pub. In November 2008 it was announced that the owners of the Bristol Bear Bar across the road had bought the lease and, following a period of decoration in which maintenance of the pub's original features was a priority,[8] it is now up and running as a pub. It is currently (as of August 2017) operating as a gay venue, trading as 'The Gin Palace.[6][9]
References
- ^ "No.1 The Palace Hotel". Images of England. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
- ^ "The Former Palace Hotel". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Old Market. The Palace Hotel". David Goddard. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Gin palace built to greet railway travellers, who never came". Bristol Post. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Bristol - Old Market". Brisray. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Bristol's Gin Palace pub to reopen as gay bar". Bristol Post. 23 November 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Bristol". Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Palace Hotel , Bristol". Marshall & Kendon Architects. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "The Palace". Old Market Quarter. Retrieved 19 November 2015.