Broadmead
Broadmead is one of the smaller ‘defined’ areas of Bristol. While many refer to Broadmead as a suburb of sorts, it is not. It is just a road. It is the main shopping road for the city of Bristol and, therefore, plays a key role in the lives of both residents and tourists in the area.
History of Broadmead
Broadmead has existed since at least the 14th Century. The earliest record of the area was ‘Broadmede’, although nobody really knows what the area was used for around that time. We do know that the name of the area comes from the word ‘Brodemedes’ which is a type of woolen cloth made in Bristol, which does imply that the cloth was woven here. There is evidence that there was a Dominican Priory in the area. At the time, Broadmead was located outside of the walls of Bristol.
In the 18th Century, Broadmead began its journey towards becoming a shopping district. An arcade was built in the area, which you can still travel through today (it is lined with shops). The real change happened shortly after World War II, though. The main shopping area in Bristol, formed of Castle Street and Wine Street, were completely decimated. Rather than put them through extensive repairs, Bristol decided to develop Broadmead instead. This means that this area of Bristol is mainly 1950s architecture, which is a stark comparison to the other parts of the city.
In the early 1980s, many of these places were demolished and replaced with the Galleries Shopping Centre. Most of the area has now been completely pedestrianised.
For a brief while, the area was renamed as Merchants Quarter, this is mostly due to the stigma associated with the slave trade which used to be heavy in the area.
The Galleries, Bristol
This is one of the main shopping centres in Bristol. It opened in October 1991 and has three floors. There are 71 stores over these floors. At the time of writing, it is currently going through a major amount of renovation. Many top British stores call The Galleries in Bristol their home. This includes:
- Argos
- Julian Charles
- Robert Dyas
- Boots
Owing to the recession in early 2008, and the opening of Cabot Circus opposite, many of the larger chain outlets opted to move out of The Galleries. This means that many of the locations that you find within the shopping centre will be smaller independent companies which you may not find anywhere else. Of course, all are using commercial cleaners to ensure that their places look fabulous.
Cabot Circus
This is located close to The Galleries shopping centre. It is a far newer building, though. It opened in September 2008 and currently has 140 stores and services. Major outlets in Cabot Circus include House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols, both of which boast the largest stores in the building. There are also several apartments on the premises.
One of the highlights of Cabot Circus is the thirteen-screen cinema and a Golf Centre. Shops in Cabot Circus include:
- New Look
- Zara
- Urban Outfitters
- H&M
Basically, you can think of Cabot Circus of offering the larger chain stores, while the opposite shopping mall offering more of the independent stores. It is a good mix and makes a visit to Broadmead more than worth it.
St. James’ Park
While it is not strictly part of Broadmead, St James’ Park is to the northwest of the shopping centre. If you are a tourist looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the shopping district, then do head to the park afterwards.