Clifton, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol
in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards
. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells
. Other parts of the suburb lie within the ward of Clifton East.
Notable places in Clifton include Clifton Suspension Bridge
, Clifton Cathedral
, Clifton College
, The Clifton Club
, Bristol Zoo
, Goldney Hall
and Clifton Down
.
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Clifton is an inner suburb of the English port city of Bristol. Clifton was recorded in the Domesday book
as Clistone, the name of the village denoting a 'hillside settlement' and referring to its position on a steep hill. Until 1898 Clifton St Andrew was a separate civil parish within the County Borough of Bristol
. Various sub-districts of Clifton exist, including Whiteladies Road
, an important shopping district to the east, and Clifton Village, a smaller shopping area near the Avon Gorge
to the west.
Although the suburb has no formal boundaries, the name Clifton is generally applied to the high ground stretching from Whiteladies Road in the east to the rim of the Avon Gorge in the west, and from Clifton Down
and Durdham Down
in the north to Cornwallis Crescent in the south. This area corresponds roughly with the city wards of Clifton and Clifton East, although the former also includes the river side suburb of Hotwells
.
Clifton is one of the oldest and most affluent areas of the city, much of it having been built with profits from tobacco
and the slave trade. Situated to the west of Bristol city centre
, it was at one time a separate settlement but became attached to Bristol by continuous development during the Georgian era
and was formally incorporated into the city in the 1830s. Grand houses that required many servants were built in the area. Although some were detached or semi-detached properties, the bulk were built as terraces, many with three or more floors. One famous terrace is the majestic Royal York Crescent
, visible from the Avon Gorge below and looking across the Bristol docks. Berkeley Square
which was built around 1790 is an example of Georgian architecture
. Secluded squares include the triangular Canynge Square. The ABC Cinema on Whiteladies Road has now been converted into offices and gymnasium. Clifton Lido
was built in 1850 but closed to the public in 1990, it was redeveloped and opened again to the public in November 2008.
. On the same basis, Clifton East ward has a population of 9,538 in 4,741 households. In Clifton ward, 27% of the adult population (aged 16 to 74 years) is in full-time education.
, including Goldney Hall
; Isambard Kingdom Brunel's
Clifton Suspension Bridge
; the Roman Catholic Clifton Cathedral
; Christ Church, Clifton Down
; Clifton College
; Clifton High School; the former Amberley House preparatory school; Queen Elizabeth's Hospital
School, The Clifton Club
; and Bristol Zoo
.
The Victoria Rooms
and the Wills Memorial Building
, also owned by the University, the Royal West of England Academy
; and BBC Bristol are considered to be in Clifton, although they are not within the boundaries of the council ward.
Clifton is served by Clifton Down railway station
, located just to the south west of Whiteladies Road on the local Severn Beach railway line
, and by frequent bus services from central Bristol. It has road links to the city centre and outer western suburbs, and across the Clifton Suspension Bridge to Leigh Woods
in North Somerset
. Between 1893 and 1934, it was connected to Hotwells by the Clifton Rocks Railway
.
(1778), young gentlemen are racing their phaetons on the public highways of Clifton (then still outside Bristol), and not without incident.
Part of the background to Philippa Gregory
's historical novel "A Respectable Trade" - dealing mainly with the slave trade in late 18th century Bristol - is the start of construction at Clifton, then a far area outside the city limits as they were at the time. In some passages characters debate whether Clifton could ever become viable and whether investment in real estate there would not be too risky - questions which were evidently quite relevant at the time though to the modern reader the answers are obvious.
The song "32 West Mall", which appeared on the 1971 album Stackridge
was named after the communal flat that the band
shared as their headquarters at 32 West Mall in 1970.
The 1978 children's paranormal drama "The Clifton House Mystery
" - produced by HTV
; was set in the Clifton area. The plot revolved around a family moving into an old house; and subsequently finding a long-dead skeleton in a hidden room. After some unexplained incidents, they become convinced that a ghost connected in some way with the Bristol Riots of 1831 is haunting the house. The plot is based on the story of the real-life Thomas Brereton
, a Dragoon commander who committed suicide after being court-martialled for his lenient approach to suppressing the rioters; although the ghost is named "George Bretherton" in the TV series.
Clifton has been featured in many television sitcoms, including the late 1970s and early 1980s TV series Shoestring, which was set in Bristol and starred Trevor Eve
as a radio reporter and part time sleuth. Much of the BBC
series Mistresses
was set there, including the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons. The TV series Teachers
was partly filmed in Clifton, as was teen drama Skins
and Being Human
. Costume drama The House of Eliott
was also largely filmed in Clifton, including at Goldney Hall
and Berkeley Square
.
The long-running hospital drama Casualty
also drew on Clifton for many scenes between 1986 and 2009, when it was filmed in Bristol.
A number of films have also been set in Clifton, including The Truth About Love
(2005) starring Dougray Scott
and Jennifer Love Hewitt
, The Foolish Things
(2005), staring Lauren Bacall
and Anjelica Huston
, and Starter for 10 (2006), starring James McAvoy
and produced by Tom Hanks
, which was filmed largely on Royal York Crescent. The 1962 film about delinquent teenagers, Some People
, starring Kenneth More
and Ray Brooks was filmed in and around Clifton.
in the north of the ward and the proximity of the BBC Natural History Unit
, which means that more than 25% of the world's wildlife programmes are made in Bristol.
Animal Magic with Johnny Morris
was filmed at Bristol Zoo for the duration of the programme (1963–1983).
The UK arm of the conservation charity
Ape Action Africa
, which rescues and rehabilitates chimpanzees and gorillas in Cameroon
, West Africa, operates out of Clifton.
Cliftonwood is a small suburb of the English
port city of Bristol
. It is bounded approximately by the Hotwell Road to the south, Jacob's Wells Road and Constitution Hill to the East and North East, Clifton Vale to the West, and by the gardens of Goldney Hall
, a University of Bristol
hall of residence, to the north. Due to the geography of the area, there are only two roads in and out: Ambra Vale in the south-west corner, and Clifton Wood Road in the north-east, though there are many footpaths. On some sources the area is spelled Cliftonwood (one word), and in some Clifton Wood (two words).
The suburb is primarily a residential area, with the only commercial premises being the Lion pub. Housing is largely large Victorian terraces, which are often painted bright colours - the coloured houses one can see when standing on Bristol's harbourside and looking up at Cliftonwood are the backs of houses on Ambrose Road and Clifton Wood Terrace. A medieval Jewish ritual bath, known as a mikveh
, was discovered in 1987, in the former Hotwells Police Station bicycle shed, by the Temple Local History group. This is believed to be the origin of the name Jacob's Well
, also given to the adjoining road.
port city of Bristol
. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour
. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge
, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. Bristol Cathedral
is situated at the eastern end of Hotwells, adjacent to The Council House
and College Green
. Hotwells forms part of the city ward of Clifton.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells
Hotwells
Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. The...
. Other parts of the suburb lie within the ward of Clifton East.
Notable places in Clifton include Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
, Clifton Cathedral
Clifton Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English city of Bristol. Located in the Clifton area of the city, it is the seat of the Diocese of Clifton and is known as Clifton Cathedral....
, Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, The Clifton Club
The Clifton Club
The Clifton Club is a traditional Gentlemen's Club in Bristol, England, founded in 1818 as a meeting place for the gentlemen of the prosperous port of Bristol.-History:...
, Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission is "Bristol Zoo Gardens maintains and defends biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural...
, Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall also known as Goldney House is a self-catered hall of residence in Clifton, Bristol, one of three in the area providing accommodation for students at the University of Bristol.-House:...
and Clifton Down
Clifton Down
Clifton Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England, north of the village of Clifton. With its neighbour Durdham Down to the northeast, it constitutes the large area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking and team sports...
.
Clifton
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Clistone, the name of the village denoting a 'hillside settlement' and referring to its position on a steep hill. Until 1898 Clifton St Andrew was a separate civil parish within the County Borough of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. Various sub-districts of Clifton exist, including Whiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road is a main road in Bristol, England. It runs north from the Victoria Rooms to Durdham Down, and separates Clifton on the west side from Redland on the east...
, an important shopping district to the east, and Clifton Village, a smaller shopping area near the Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
to the west.
Although the suburb has no formal boundaries, the name Clifton is generally applied to the high ground stretching from Whiteladies Road in the east to the rim of the Avon Gorge in the west, and from Clifton Down
Clifton Down
Clifton Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England, north of the village of Clifton. With its neighbour Durdham Down to the northeast, it constitutes the large area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking and team sports...
and Durdham Down
Durdham Down
Durdham Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England. With its neighbour Clifton Down to the southwest, it constitutes a area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking, jogging and team sports. Its exposed position makes it particularly suitable for kite flying...
in the north to Cornwallis Crescent in the south. This area corresponds roughly with the city wards of Clifton and Clifton East, although the former also includes the river side suburb of Hotwells
Hotwells
Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. The...
.
Clifton is one of the oldest and most affluent areas of the city, much of it having been built with profits from tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and the slave trade. Situated to the west of Bristol city centre
Bristol city centre
Bristol city centre is the commercial, cultural and business centre of Bristol, England. It is the area south of the central ring road and north of the Floating Harbour, bounded north by St Pauls and Easton, east by Temple Meads and Redcliffe, and west by Clifton and Canon's Marsh...
, it was at one time a separate settlement but became attached to Bristol by continuous development during the Georgian era
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
and was formally incorporated into the city in the 1830s. Grand houses that required many servants were built in the area. Although some were detached or semi-detached properties, the bulk were built as terraces, many with three or more floors. One famous terrace is the majestic Royal York Crescent
Royal York Crescent
Royal York Crescent is a major residential street in Clifton, Bristol. It overlooks much of the docks, and much of the city can be seen from it. It also joins Clifton Village at one end. It is one of the most expensive streets in the city....
, visible from the Avon Gorge below and looking across the Bristol docks. Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square, Bristol
Berkeley Square is close to Park Street in the Clifton area of Bristol.It was laid out around 1790 in Georgian style with a central grass area behind railings, by Thomas and William Paty....
which was built around 1790 is an example of Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
. Secluded squares include the triangular Canynge Square. The ABC Cinema on Whiteladies Road has now been converted into offices and gymnasium. Clifton Lido
Clifton Pool and The Victoria Public House
The Clifton Pool and Victoria Public House is an historic lido and public house situated in Oakfield Place in the Whiteladies Road area of Clifton, Bristol, England....
was built in 1850 but closed to the public in 1990, it was redeveloped and opened again to the public in November 2008.
Demographics
Clifton ward, which includes Hotwells, has a population of 10,452 in 5,007 households, according to adjusted figures for the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. On the same basis, Clifton East ward has a population of 9,538 in 4,741 households. In Clifton ward, 27% of the adult population (aged 16 to 74 years) is in full-time education.
Geography and transport
Immediately north of Clifton is Durdham Down, a relatively flat and open area, used for recreation purposes. On the western edge of Clifton is Clifton Down, a less open/more wooded area, adjacent to the gorge. Clifton is home to many buildings of the University of BristolUniversity of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, including Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall also known as Goldney House is a self-catered hall of residence in Clifton, Bristol, one of three in the area providing accommodation for students at the University of Bristol.-House:...
; Isambard Kingdom Brunel's
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
; the Roman Catholic Clifton Cathedral
Clifton Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English city of Bristol. Located in the Clifton area of the city, it is the seat of the Diocese of Clifton and is known as Clifton Cathedral....
; Christ Church, Clifton Down
Christ Church, Clifton Down
Christ Church is a popular church in Clifton, Bristol, England.It was built in 1841 by Charles Dyer. The steeple, which reaches 65 m , was built 1859 by J Norton, and the aisles in 1885 by William Basset Smith....
; Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
; Clifton High School; the former Amberley House preparatory school; Queen Elizabeth's Hospital
Queen Elizabeth's Hospital
Queen Elizabeth's Hospital is an independent school for boys in Clifton, Bristol, England founded in 1586. Stephen Holliday has served as Headmaster since 2000, having succeeded Dr Richard Gliddon...
School, The Clifton Club
The Clifton Club
The Clifton Club is a traditional Gentlemen's Club in Bristol, England, founded in 1818 as a meeting place for the gentlemen of the prosperous port of Bristol.-History:...
; and Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission is "Bristol Zoo Gardens maintains and defends biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural...
.
The Victoria Rooms
Victoria Rooms (Bristol)
The Victoria Rooms, also known as the Vic Rooms, houses the University of Bristol's music department in Clifton, Bristol, England, on a prominent site at the junction of Queens Road and Whiteladies Road...
and the Wills Memorial Building
Wills Memorial Building
The Wills Memorial Building is a Neo Gothic building designed by Sir George Oatley and built as a memorial to Henry Overton Wills III...
, also owned by the University, the Royal West of England Academy
Royal West of England Academy
The Royal West of England Academy is an art gallery where Queens Road meets Whiteladies Road, in Bristol, England.- History :The Academy was the first art gallery in Bristol. Its foundation was financed by a bequest of £2000 in the will of Ellen Sharples in 1849, and a group of artists in...
; and BBC Bristol are considered to be in Clifton, although they are not within the boundaries of the council ward.
Clifton is served by Clifton Down railway station
Clifton Down railway station
Clifton Down railway station is located on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, Bristol, England. The station is west of Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
, located just to the south west of Whiteladies Road on the local Severn Beach railway line
Severn Beach Line
The Severn Beach Line is a local railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary.Passenger trains run from Bristol...
, and by frequent bus services from central Bristol. It has road links to the city centre and outer western suburbs, and across the Clifton Suspension Bridge to Leigh Woods
Leigh Woods
Leigh Woods is a 2 square kilometre area of woodland on the south-west side of the Avon Gorge, opposite the English city of Bristol and north of the Ashton Court estate. It has been designated as a National Nature Reserve. Small mountain biking circuits are present in the woods and the area is a...
in North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
. Between 1893 and 1934, it was connected to Hotwells by the Clifton Rocks Railway
Clifton Rocks Railway
The Clifton Rocks Railway was an underground funicular railway in Bristol, linking Clifton at the top to Hotwells and Bristol Harbour at the bottom of the Avon Gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs. The upper station is close to Brunel's famous Clifton Suspension Bridge and is located...
.
In popular culture
In Frances Burney's novel EvelinaEvelina
Evelina or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World is a novel written by English author Frances Burney and first published in 1778...
(1778), young gentlemen are racing their phaetons on the public highways of Clifton (then still outside Bristol), and not without incident.
Part of the background to Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
's historical novel "A Respectable Trade" - dealing mainly with the slave trade in late 18th century Bristol - is the start of construction at Clifton, then a far area outside the city limits as they were at the time. In some passages characters debate whether Clifton could ever become viable and whether investment in real estate there would not be too risky - questions which were evidently quite relevant at the time though to the modern reader the answers are obvious.
The song "32 West Mall", which appeared on the 1971 album Stackridge
Stackridge (album)
Stackridge is the 1971 debut album by the English group Stackridge. It was one of the first releases on the MCA Records label in the U.K. It first appeared on CD in 1997 released by Demon Records in the U.K. In 2006 it was re-issued again by Angel Air....
was named after the communal flat that the band
Stackridge
Stackridge are a British folk, pop and progressive rock group who were at the height of their success during the early 1970s. The band's output is characterized by quirky humour and rhythmic catchy sing-along tunes....
shared as their headquarters at 32 West Mall in 1970.
The 1978 children's paranormal drama "The Clifton House Mystery
The Clifton House Mystery
The Clifton House Mystery was a British children's television paranormal drama series written by Daniel Farson and Harry Moore, produced by Patrick Dromgoole and directed by Hugh David, and shown in 1978 by HTV....
" - produced by HTV
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
; was set in the Clifton area. The plot revolved around a family moving into an old house; and subsequently finding a long-dead skeleton in a hidden room. After some unexplained incidents, they become convinced that a ghost connected in some way with the Bristol Riots of 1831 is haunting the house. The plot is based on the story of the real-life Thomas Brereton
Thomas Brereton
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Brereton was an Irish soldier who led the dragoons against the rioters during the Bristol Riots and was subsequently court-martialled for his leniency.He was the governor of Senegal by the time of the Méduse tragedy....
, a Dragoon commander who committed suicide after being court-martialled for his lenient approach to suppressing the rioters; although the ghost is named "George Bretherton" in the TV series.
Clifton has been featured in many television sitcoms, including the late 1970s and early 1980s TV series Shoestring, which was set in Bristol and starred Trevor Eve
Trevor Eve
Trevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,...
as a radio reporter and part time sleuth. Much of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series Mistresses
Mistresses (TV series)
Mistresses is a British serial drama television programme that follows the lives of four female friends and their involvement in an array of illicit and complex relationships...
was set there, including the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons. The TV series Teachers
Teachers (UK TV series)
Teachers is a British television sitcom, originally shown on Channel 4. The series follows a group of secondary school teachers in their daily lives....
was partly filmed in Clifton, as was teen drama Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
and Being Human
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
. Costume drama The House of Eliott
The House of Eliott
The House of Eliott is a British television series produced and broadcast by the BBC in three series between 1991 and 1994. The series starred Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard as two sisters in 1920s London who establish a dressmaking business and eventually their own haute couture fashion house...
was also largely filmed in Clifton, including at Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall also known as Goldney House is a self-catered hall of residence in Clifton, Bristol, one of three in the area providing accommodation for students at the University of Bristol.-House:...
and Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square, Bristol
Berkeley Square is close to Park Street in the Clifton area of Bristol.It was laid out around 1790 in Georgian style with a central grass area behind railings, by Thomas and William Paty....
.
The long-running hospital drama Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
also drew on Clifton for many scenes between 1986 and 2009, when it was filmed in Bristol.
A number of films have also been set in Clifton, including The Truth About Love
The Truth About Love
The Truth About Love is a 2004 film directed by John Hay.-Synopsis:In Bristol, as part of a drunken bet with her sister , a happily married Englishwoman sends an anonymous Valentine's Day card to her husband to see if he hides it...
(2005) starring Dougray Scott
Dougray Scott
-Early life:The son of Elma, a nurse, and Alan Scott, an actor and salesperson, Stephen Dougray Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife and attended Auchmuty High School...
and Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
, The Foolish Things
These Foolish Things (film)
These Foolish Things is a 2005 film based on Noel Langley's novel There's a Porpoise Close Behind us and directed by Julia Taylor-Stanley. It stars Zoe Tapper, David Leon, Lauren Bacall, Anjelica Huston and Julia McKenzie. The drama was largerly filmed on location in Bristol, Cheltenham and...
(2005), staring Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
and Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
, and Starter for 10 (2006), starring James McAvoy
James McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
and produced by Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, which was filmed largely on Royal York Crescent. The 1962 film about delinquent teenagers, Some People
Some People
Some People is a 1962 film directed by Clive Donner. It stars Kenneth More and Ray Brooks.-Cast:* Kenneth More as Mr. Smith* Ray Brooks as Johnnie* Anneke Wills as Anne* David Andrews as Bill* Angela Douglas as Terry* David Hemmings as Bert...
, starring Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
and Ray Brooks was filmed in and around Clifton.
Natural history
Clifton has a long history of natural history television programming and global conservation, due to the presence of Bristol ZooBristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission is "Bristol Zoo Gardens maintains and defends biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural...
in the north of the ward and the proximity of the BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
, which means that more than 25% of the world's wildlife programmes are made in Bristol.
Animal Magic with Johnny Morris
Johnny Morris
Ernest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
was filmed at Bristol Zoo for the duration of the programme (1963–1983).
The UK arm of the conservation charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
Ape Action Africa
Ape Action Africa
Ape Action Africa is a non-profit NGO founded in 1996 dedicated to the conservation of endangered gorillas and chimpanzees, threatened by the bushmeat trade in Central and West Africa. Ape Action Africa manages the rescue and rehabilitation of Great apes across much of Cameroon, with a large...
, which rescues and rehabilitates chimpanzees and gorillas in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, West Africa, operates out of Clifton.
Cliftonwood
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
port city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. It is bounded approximately by the Hotwell Road to the south, Jacob's Wells Road and Constitution Hill to the East and North East, Clifton Vale to the West, and by the gardens of Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall
Goldney Hall also known as Goldney House is a self-catered hall of residence in Clifton, Bristol, one of three in the area providing accommodation for students at the University of Bristol.-House:...
, a University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
hall of residence, to the north. Due to the geography of the area, there are only two roads in and out: Ambra Vale in the south-west corner, and Clifton Wood Road in the north-east, though there are many footpaths. On some sources the area is spelled Cliftonwood (one word), and in some Clifton Wood (two words).
The suburb is primarily a residential area, with the only commercial premises being the Lion pub. Housing is largely large Victorian terraces, which are often painted bright colours - the coloured houses one can see when standing on Bristol's harbourside and looking up at Cliftonwood are the backs of houses on Ambrose Road and Clifton Wood Terrace. A medieval Jewish ritual bath, known as a mikveh
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
, was discovered in 1987, in the former Hotwells Police Station bicycle shed, by the Temple Local History group. This is believed to be the origin of the name Jacob's Well
Jacob's Well, Bristol
Jacob's Well in Cliftonwood, Bristol, England is an early mediaeval structure thought to be a Jewish ritual bath.The stone structure is built round a natural hot spring and on a lintel there is an inscription thought to be the Hebrew word zochalim, "flowing". This led to the theory that this was a...
, also given to the adjoining road.
Hotwells
Hotwells is a district of the EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
port city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour
Bristol Harbour
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and...
. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England, and is commonly known as Bristol Cathedral...
is situated at the eastern end of Hotwells, adjacent to The Council House
Council House, Bristol
The Council House has been the seat of local government in Bristol, England since 1956. It is situated on College Green, opposite the Cathedral and at the foot of Park Street in Bristol city centre . Throughout its history it has been home to Bristol city council.It was designed in the 1930s but...
and College Green
College Green, Bristol
College Green is a public open space in Bristol, England. The Green takes the form of a segment of a circle with its apex pointing east, and covers...
. Hotwells forms part of the city ward of Clifton.