Hello

I am a 'young' Bristolian, well 38 actually. I love my city and I have recently become fascinated by the 'old town'.

It would be so nice and so very fitting if the authoroties in Bristol got their act together, put cost to one side and give our beautiful city back some, or one of the things that we love so much (like my previous post about the Dutch House)

In 1990 a building program was started in Dresden, Germany to rebuild the Frauenkirche, which was destroyed by allied bombing in 1945.

It took 15 years to complete, but the result is amazing. A beautiful building and the right decision by the planners to give back what was lost. Why can we not follow their example for at least one part of our city so sadly obliterated in 1940/41?

I know it's all about cost, adapting to present infrastructure etc and I am a romanticist at heart.I know it may never happen but these are my ideas...

1. The replacing of the original street plan on Castle Park. (this could house market stalls as they are on Corn Street today) Including replacement of the original High Street/Mary le Port Street junction. This could give back the atmosphere that the original old town had, especially in summer.

2. The building of a replica of the Dutch House. Perhaps Bristols most loved building.

3. The cmplete restoration and reconcecration of Mary Le Port church.

I would love to know if people agree/disagree, think it's viable or possible.

Here Here I agree especially about mary le port street one of the most beutiful streets in bristol

Patrick

Thank you. The above statement/letter by me was printed in the Bristol Evening Post (Wed. 23rd Jan. p8) I hope notes are taken.

I agree with you 100% Scott. In the 1950's when I was growing up in Bristol I remember the 'old' city was still a derelict bomb site but it captured my imagination and I was fascinated by what lttle remained. When I last visited a couple of years ago I was dissapointed to see the area looking so bleak and featureless and the Castle Green park littered with rubbish and home to gangs of drunk (or drugged) teenagers. It felt quite threatening. The restoration of St. Mary-Le-Port and possibly St Peters would be a wonderful thing and a market (covered perhaps?) would add vitality to the area. What a wonderful project the rebuilding of 'The Dutch House' would make! I wonder if any of the original was saved after the bombing?
But with all the resources being put into the building of the new shopping centre I doubt that the council will be willing to divert time and money into such a scheme. To restore some of Bristol's great heritage and character would be a much more worthy cause than providing yet more bland shopping malls.

Thanks Roger.

I think it is important that Bristol is given back some of what was sadly lost, my main focus being the rebuilding of a working replica of The Dutch House. Can you imagine the local interest if this were to happen? Not just local but also national and to some extent international. It would be so good for Bristol.

My article printed in the post word for word can be found on my Myspace blog page here...

(http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=148410597&blogID=352321103)

That pretty much explains my view. I would have loved to have seen what remained even in the 50's. I would forgive planners if they left St. Peters as it is, it is a memorial in a Peace Park after all. But you are right, the area today no way represents the beating heart of the city for over a 1000 years.

There are other factors I would like to see replaced that I don't think are unreasonable. Costly yes, but not impossible, I think it's important and right that we put at least some of it back.

I've been in love with the bristol of reece winstone all my 33 years and would love to see the castle, moat and jettied black and white houses, cobbled layout rebuilt as per 1600's or even 1820's as in bristol before the camera by sheena stoddart, a wonderful book.

Hi Nick

Yes, I've been meaning to get that book. I got half a dozen now. Reading the text can be more fascinating than the pictures.

I would recommend [Bristol: A Peoples History] by Peter Aughton & [Lost Bristol] by Victoria Coules. Also [Bristol: The Photographic Collection] by David J Eveleigh is great.

I have read that much of old Castle Park was not cobbled but roads in fact were laid using tarred wooden blocks.

I would have liked to have seen the Dutch House, the original road layout and of course some or all the City Gates (High Street Gate, Pithay Gate etc) which were adly pulled down in the 18th cent. in the name of progress.

I don't suppose there are any fanatical Bristol historians who are experts at CGI imagery? A computer fly-by would be the next best thing.

Scott