Bristol in the Edwardian Period

A rather splendid view of the then Tramways Centre as it would have looked about 100 years ago. Although some of the buildings to the extreme left edge of this view still survive, the majority have now gone, including the splendid Co-op Building with its magnificent clock tower to the mid-upper left of centre, needlessly demolished as late as the mid-1970’s. The only surviving building on the right of this view is that of the "W" Shed with its pediment and turret, now known as the "Watershed", which these days houses an arts complex, shops and restaurants, as well as the GWR radio station. Note the tall ocean-going sailing ship to the left of the "W" Shed: these were still in regular use until as late as the 1920’s before steam finally took over. After an absence of many decades, these kind of ships are now quite often seen again in these docks, but these days usually on exhibition, instead of being working ships. Also, in the centre of this view can be seen an early steamer at the quayside. In the 1930’s, this stretch of the river from nearest the camera up to the "W" Shed was covered over, with the City Centre Gardens then being constructed on top. Note the electric trams in the foreground, with their inclined conducting-rods in contact with the overhead cables: a line of horse-drawn taxi cabs stands to the back of them.