Crew's Hole, Bristol

{{Infobox UK place

| country = England

| official_name = Crew's Hole

| coordinates = {{coord|51.4592|-2.5411|display=inline,title}}

| static_image_name = Quayside Village Bristol.jpg

| static_image_caption = Quayside Village now occupies the site of the former tar works at Crew's Hole.

| map_type = Bristol

| civil_parish =

| population =

| unitary_england = Bristol

| lieutenancy_england =

| region = South West England

| constituency_westminster = Bristol East

| post_town = BRISTOL

| postcode_district = BS5

| postcode_area = BS

| dial_code = 0117

| os_grid_reference = ST625735

| label_position = left

}}

Crew's Hole is an area in east Bristol near St George. It is next to the River Avon, two miles upstream from Bristol Bridge.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=2}}

From the early 18th century it began to be used extensively as an industrial area.{{cite journal|title=The industrial archaeology of the Bristol region|last1=Buchanan |first1=Robert Angus |last2=Cossons |first2=Neil |page=154|publisher=David & Charles|year=1969}} The Bristol Brass Company began copper smelting in 1810 at Crew's Hole, and later expanded with a chimney further uphill which gave a better draught condition for the furnaces.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=2}} Anthony Ammatt established a pottery at Crew's Hole in 1812, using clay transported from the Isle of Wight and Poole. Several bargeworks were built here during the 19th century.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=2}}

Tar works

File:Steam Engine, Bull Inn, 333 Crew's Hole Road - geograph.org.uk - 211478.jpg

A tar works site was established by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843 at the bottom of Troopers Hill, known for its distinctive chimney.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=2}} It provided creosote to be used as a preservative for railway sleepers and by 1863 had passed into the ownership of Brunel's manager, William Butler.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=16}} At the turn of the 20th century, the works were used to manufacturer tarmac for roads, which became its main use.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=13}} British Steel Corporation (BSC) took over running of the tar works in 1970. Under their ownership, it expanded to be one of the most modern in Europe, allowing a continuous 24/7 production of creosote, road tar and smokeless fuel, among other products. {{sfn|soci|2002|p=14}} It continued to operate until 1981, by which time it had stopped producing road tar and become primarily a distillation unit. After closure, the works lay derelict for some years, until the area was redeveloped as Quayside Village in 1989.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=16}}

Because Crew's Hole is adjacent to the River Avon, the area has been prone to flooding. Significant floods were recorded in 1894, 1960 and 1968.{{sfn|soci|2002|p=15}}

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References

Citations

Sources

{{cite report

|title=History of tar distillation at Crew's Hole

|author=Raymond Holland

|year=2002

|publisher=Society of Chemical Industry

|id=123/2002

|issn=1353-114X

|url=http://www.soci.org/~/media/Files/Conference%20Downloads/2002/Bristol%20Tar%20Distillation%202002/Bristol_tar_distillation_2002.ashx

|ref={{harvid|soci|2002}}

}}

External links

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/2040321194 History and photos of Crew's Hole] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028094751/https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/2040321194 |date=28 October 2016 }}

Category:Areas of Bristol