History

An ongoing Project researching the history of Bristol Spaceworks and its 5 Business Centres/Buildings is now under way and this Page will document the findings of this research….

 

Easton Business Centre, Felix Road

The current Business centre is located on the site of the former Easton Colliery (1830-1911).

The Colliery was built in 1830.

1883 – “From the description of Easton Colliery in ‘Bristol Times & Mirror’ it appears that, by this time at least, the workings of the Easton & Whitehall pits are connected by an underground roadway 2 – 3 miles long. Towards the Whitehall shaft there were two 30 horsepower engines in an underground engine-house. The engines were used for pulling trams up inclines. They were 380yds below the surface. WB Monks, Senior, (1831-1892), Mine Manager, is described as giving the Times & Mirror reporters a ‘cheerful and kindly greeting’”. Source: http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~rstephen/livingeaston/local_history/coalmining/shorthistory.html

The following 3 Maps give you an idea of where the Colliery was located, in reference to modern day EBC. And straddles both current day St Gabriel’s Business Park and the Felix Road Adventure Playground too…

 

 

 

Circa 1900 – 2 Pictures showing what the Colliery actually looked like…..

 

…and an aerial view of 21st Century Easton Business Centre

 

 

The Old Library Business Centre, Trinity Road

Previously known as the St Philips Public Library and also as the St Philips Free Library

The Library was built in 1896 in a Jacobethan style and was named the St Philips Public Library. It was designed by William Venn Gough and it still has the original name on the top of the building. It closed as a public library on 28 November 2012. ^{(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Road_Library,_Bristol )}