Archaeological & Heritage Assessment, Baltic Wharf
Archaeological & Heritage Assessment in support of residential development along Cumberland Road in central Bristol.
In Brief
Archaeological Desk Based Assessment
Heritage Assessment
Location: Bristol
Key Points
- Combined heritage and archaeological assessment
- Wide-ranging site visit to assess impact
- Site located within the City Docks Conservation Area
- Magnitude of impact assessed as Moderate/ Slight
Summary
The key heritage assets that had potential to be affected by the proposed development included The City Docks Conservation Area and The Underfall Yard at Bristol Docks, designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This includes five Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings within the Scheduled dockyards which for reasons of clarity and brevity were considered as a group. Additional heritage assets were Vauxhall Bridge (Grade II listed), South Junction Lock (Grade II listed), 1-5 Old Dock Cottages (Grade II listed), 6-8 Old Dock Cottages (Grade II listed), The Pump House Public House (Grade II listed) and The Cottage Public House (a Locally Listed building).
Views from each heritage asset were considered as well as medium to long distance views from The Clifton Suspension Bridge (Grade I), the Registered Park and Garden at Ashton Court (Grade II*), Nos.1-12, 12a and 14-46 Royal York Crescent (Grade II* listed), The Cabot Tower (Grade II listed), The Ashton Swing Bridge (Grade II listed), The Bust of Samuel Plimsoll, Capricorn Place (Grade II listed), the A and B Bond Tobacco Warehouses (Grade II listed), and the Clifton and Hotwells Conservation Area.
Results
The overall archaeological potential of the site was assessed as Moderate, with particular reference to potential for encountering buried remains of 19th century structures associated with the timber yards and saw mills which formerly occupied the site at Baltic Wharf until their clearance after the Second World War.
In terms of heritage, the overall magnitude of impact from the proposed development on designated and non-designated heritage assets in the immediate vicinity of the site and the wider surrounding area was assessed as Moderate/Slight.
Key considerations were the impact on two specific heritage assets, namely the City Docks Conservation Area, an iconic maritime industrial landscape of international importance and the nearby Scheduled Underfall Yard, one of the best-preserved late Victorian dockyards in the world. Other nearby designated heritage assets include the Vauxhall Bridge, the South Junction Lock and Old Dock Cottages and the Pump House public house (all Grade II listed) and The Cottage public house, a locally listed building.
