Bristol: Hidden Places in Barton Hill including a mosaic snail

The Wellspring Centre is at the end of Beam St.

By bus: The 36 bus travels along Avonvale Rd and stops near Beam St.

By train:  Go to Lawrence Hill.  Cross Church Rd and turn left and then right into Cobden St.  Continue to the end of Cobden St through to Beam St and the Wellspring Centre.

There is parking by the Wellspring Centre but it is often very full and you may have find on-street parking.  Please park with consideration for local residents.

With your back to the Wellspring Centre cross the road and turn right passing by the car park.  Just before the entrance to the Urban Park turn left.  Exit on to Avonvale Rd and turn right.  Continue to the zebra crossing by St Luke's Church, cross the road and turn left, then right within 10 metres, down a path of mature plane trees between Eccleston House and Barton Hill Tenants Association.

[1] Exit opposite the Lord Nelson pub where Cotton Mill St joins Aiken St.  Turn right on Aiken St and cross the road to look at the bust of Nelson on the right hand end of the Lord Nelson pub.  Continue on Aiken St to the T-junction and turn right on Maze St.  At the next T-junction turn left on Queen Ann Rd.  Take the first left to Goulter St..  There is a bench on the corner of Goulter Rd and Queen Ann Rd if you would like a rest.

[2] Continue to the end of Goulter St and turn right on Salisbury St.  Just before the junction with Canterbury St turn right into Lilla's Park.  Read the noticeboard to find out how the park was given its name.  There is a wonderful mosaic snail and painted bird footprints on the path.  Continue out of the opposite entrance and turn left and then right into Canterbury St.  At the crossroads go straight ahead into Jarvis St.

[3] At the bend just before you reach the junction with Barton Hill Rd take the path on your right that follows the school playing field boundary.  This is Gullybrook Lane.  Follow the path as it curves left with a small play area on the right and turn right at the T junction.  The path bends to the left and exits into Barton Hill Rd.  Turn right and walk past the Walled Garden and cross Queen Ann Rd.  

Take care crossing Queen Ann Road as this is quite a busy junction.

Continue on Barton Hill Road to Church St.  Turn right on Church St and pass the brick buildings on your left then go left through the red gate into the Urban Park.  Walk through the Urban Park to exit through one of the red gates at the far end.  From there walk through the car park, passing  Boots the chemist on your left,and you will be back at the Wellspring Centre.

A. Note the bust of Lord Nelson on the side of the Lord Nelson pub.  The first recorded publican for the Lord Nelson was James Fear in 1841, 36 years after Nelson's death.  Later publicans in the 1980s were Denzil  and Sonia Burgess who went on to further business success with the Tropic Club and the Bank pub in Stokes Croft.   Their children have continued in the club and restaurant trade.  More on http://www.emas4success.org/acrobat/TeachingMaterials/Biographies/BlackBristolians/The_Burgess_Family.pdf

 The pub stands close to the junction with Cotton Mill Lane named for the Great Western Cotton Factory, 1838-1925, which once gave over 2,000 jobs to the area.  During the American Civil War working hours were reduced at the factory due to the shortage of cotton.

B. Lilla's Park - This park was named after Lilla Dursley who has lived in Beaconsfield St, Barton Hill all her life.  She was 80 at the time the park was named in June 2005.  There is more about Lilla on a sign in the park.  Unlike most Bristol parks this one is not managed by Bristol  City Council's Parks department but by their Estate Management (Housing) department.

C.  The large red brick Dutch style building on the corner of Queen Ann Rd and Jarvis St is the old Barton Hill Nursery and Infants School.  The new Barton Hill Primary and Children's Centre is further up Queen Ann Rd opposite the junction with Maze St.   If you look across Queen Ann Rd from the old school you will see the Rhubarb Tavern.  This was once a farmhouse and one of the crops was rhubarb.

D.  The Green Space opposite the top of Gullybrook Lane is Dr Days Park.  Until 2010 it was know as the Barton Hill Amenity Area.  In 2010 the Gullybrook Action Group started campaigning for it to be named Dr Days Park.  Dr William Edward Day, who lived in Barrow Rd, Barton Hill, died in 1879.  The nearby railway junction Days Junction is named after him, as is Days Rd.

There are no steps on this route.  There are a number of kerbs and road crossings. This walk should present little difficulty to someone with a child's buggy.

There are toilets in the Wellspring Centre but the centre is closed at weekends.

There is a cafe in the Wellspring Centre on Tuesday lunchtimes.