AD7602 Site visit to Temple Meads, Bristol
18th October 2023
The name Temple Meads derives from the nearby Temple Church, which was gutted by bombing during World War II. The word “meads” is a derivation of “mæd”, an Old English variation of “mædwe”, meadow, referring to the water meadows alongside the River Avon that were part of Temple parish. As late as 1820 the site was undeveloped pasture outside the boundaries of the old city, some distance from the commercial centre. It lay between the Floating Harbour and the city’s cattle market, which was built in 1830 (Wikipedia). The morning visit arranged to introduce the masterplan brief to the students involved a walk around the site, home of numerous previous development proposals and now accommodating further university campus work in progress. A complicated mix of derelict land, railway viaducts, a tidal river and part of the “floating harbour”, all seen at “their best” thanks to the ideal weather conditions. And why is the colour blue associated with Bristol? Check out https://bristol-glass.co.uk/pages/bristol-blue-glass-history
