These blogs replace that originally planned for today. There was just too much work in preparation, so something a bit easier to understand starts the week, Sverige will follow later.
We all know Temple Meads station in Bristol.
The building on the left was Brunel’s original terminus. It soon proved inadequate and the main line was pushed west, so a through station was built with the main entrance at the top of the access road as shown above.
Temple Meads station was a goodly trudge from the city centre and, over the years the land (the meads), that belonged to the temple, had been repurposed as industrial land.
To the north of the new gothic buildings was a large goods depot …
… and to the east was the town’s cattle market.
You can just see the top of the station entrance steeple top left!
In the 1930s (?) Royal Mail built a depot on the cattle market site which grew into a vast sorting office easily spotted from the station approach.
This was ideal when mail travelled by rail, but not well sited in the middle of several traffic jams when road took over. The buildings lay empty and decaying for 22 tears …
… but have now been demolished and the site is, once again being repurposed.
So, let us take a circular journey (courtesy of Streetview) round the exterior of Temple Meads station.
We start by turning left at the foot of the station approach road.
There is quite a lot of “stuff at a lower level here …
Almost immediately we turn left again and into Cattle Market Road (surprise!) which leads creepily under the railway.
On the far side of the tunnel we can see substantial work going on as revealed in the video.
We than turn left again into Avon Street …
… and go under the railway again, now at the London end of the station.
Here we come to lots of new stuff.
If we hang a left here we find a footbridge across the new cut floating harbour …
… which brings us out on the city side of Temple Meads where we would be entering the goods depot of old.
Here we have a side entrance to the station (again note the tip of the steeple) …
… but you would never know from the really clear signs.
Spot the huge BR logo! Here we are on the side of Brunel’s station that you never see …
… and a short toddle back to the foot of the station approach.
So what, you may ask?
The assorted mayors (city and metro) have had a vision, which can be very dangerous. They have a grand plan which can also be frightening!
fbb will reveal all tomorrow.
Twenty’s Plenty??
And again!
And Another One!
£20 (plus postage) for a wagon which never existed in reality.
What about Marmite?
Next Temple Meads blog : Tuesday 14th November
