| The Wool Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Bristol | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′08″N2°35′22″W / 51.4522°N 2.5894°W |
| Completed | 1830 |
| Cost | £4400 [1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Richard Shackleton Pope |
The Wool Hall is a historic building in St Thomas Street, Redcliffe, Bristol.
| Bristol Markets Act 1828 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for removing the present Cattle Market now held in Saint Thomas Street in the City of Bristol, for providing a better and more convenient Market instead thereof, and for rebuilding and enlarging the Wool Hall in Saint Thomas Street. |
| Citation | 9 Geo. 4. c. xli |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 13 May 1828 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The wool trade had been important in Bristol since the 11th century, but the smell generated by fullers softening wool in urine meant the trade was banished from the city centre and relocated in Redcliffe. [2]
The building was constructed in 1830 to house the city's wool market, [1] as Bristol Bridge had become too congested by sheep farmers travelling across it. [3] It was designed by Richard Shackleton Pope and has been described as "the first quasi-industrial building in Bristol to attempt a real architectural facade". [4] It was designed in a classical style with a symmetrical front. Internally, the building included a Pennant-flagged ground floor and staircase. [5] The ground floor served as a weighing house, while the upper floors were used for storage. The total cost was £4,400 (now £497,600). The building was not a success since it was too far from the farmer's markets at Temple Meads, and the wool trade moved to the Corn Exchange in 1834. [3]
The building survived the bombing of Bristol during World War II, unlike several nearby 17th-century buildings which were hit and subsequently demolished. [6] In 1980, the building was modified to include new doors. The ground floor became the Fleece and Firkin brewpub, while the upper floors were offices. [5] [7] The Fleece became a venue for live music, hosting gigs by Oasis, Pulp, Emeli Sande, Radiohead and Amy Winehouse. [7]
The Wool Hall was awarded grade II listed building status by English Heritage in 1975. [4]
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal wool.
The British Wool Marketing Board operates the central marketing system for UK fleece wool. A farmer-run organisation, British Wool was established in 1950 with the aim of achieving the best possible net return for producers. It is the only organisation in the world that collects, grades, sells and promotes fleece wool and is the only remaining agricultural commodity board in the UK.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, widely known as St Mary Redcliffe, is the main Church of England parish church for the Redcliffe district of the city of Bristol, England. The first reference to a church on the site appears in 1158, with the present building dating from 1185 to 1872. The church is considered one of the country's finest and largest parish churches as well as an outstanding example of English Gothic architecture. The church is so large it is sometimes mistaken for Bristol Cathedral by tourists. The building has Grade I listed status, the highest possible category, by Historic England.
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