Category: 4. Thursday Doors

Thursday doors

Door 20

Crypt door, Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol.
Crypt door, Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol.

 

This really is one of my favourite doors…ever. It is a tiny door that accesses the crypt under the magnificent church of St John the Baptist. Behind the door…remember to duck…steps lead down into a vaulted crypt, a quiet and peaceful place that is opened by the Churches Conservation trust (who own and curate the building) from time to time.

The church itself was built into the city walls in the fourteenth century, and although alterations have been made, much of the original character of this building remains.

For me the door holds secrets behind it, secrets that only the curious enjoy.

 

by Scooj.

 

See more at Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Thursday doors

Door 19

Graffiti door, Lydstep Terrace, Bristol
Graffiti door, Lydstep Terrace, Bristol

This door is at the end of a derelict factory building or warehouse in Lydstep Terrace. I can’t find out much about what the building used to be, but it has no roof and is in a pretty shoddy state. I managed to find a council document that refers to the site as an unlisted building of merit.

It is pretty clear that this door is closed to all visitors. No entry, shut, barred, locked…you’re not getting in.

The long wall to the left of the door is a magnet for graffiti and tagging and has used by street art wannabes as a practice wall. The graffiti here has come to something of an abrupt halt however as developers have recently moved in and are getting quite busy doing something. It will be interesting to see what they make of this rather unexceptional building.

Gentrification in progress. The taggers will have to move on.

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

 

Thursday doors

Door 18

Edward Everard building, Broad Street, Bristol
Edward Everard building, Broad Street, Bristol

This is the front entrance to one of the most remarkable buildings in Bristol. It was the Edward Everard Printing Works and is tucked away in the narrow (and perhaps inappropriately named) Broad Street. Edward Everard was a well known and prosperous Bristol printer who commissioned Henry Williams to build the print works in 1900 and the pre-Raphealite art nouveau facade was by William Neatby.

Much of the original building was demolished, but this facade remains and the building has been used as as offices by the NatWest bank, although judging by the chain and padlock on the gate it doesn’t look much in use at the moment.

Edward Everard building, Broad Street, Bristol
Edward Everard building, Broad Street, Bristol

The beautiful craftsmanship on the gates is really worth a closer look – some fabulous oak and mistletoe designs and a very grand E.

Edward Everard building, Broad Street, Bristol
Edward Everard building, Broad Street, Bristol

The entrance arch and gates are impressive, but it is the stunning facade above them that sets this building apart from all others. More about this building on the Bristol past website.

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

 

Thursday doors

Door 17

Redcliffe cave gate, Bristol
Redcliffe cave gate, Bristol

This is a door designed to keep prying eyes out, rather than to welcome visitors in. It is one of the entrances to the Redcliffe Caves, which form a central part in Bristol’s history as an international trading port.

I, along with many others, believed this cave to be a place where slaves were incarcerated, a folklore of the city which is quite untrue. Rather it was used as a store for merchandise and has in more recent times been used as a waste dump.

Redcliffe cave gate, Plaque, Bristol
Redcliffe cave gate, Plaque, Bristol

The area is steeped in history and above the gate this plaque, donated by the Bristol Civic Society, describes some of the features of Redcliffe. I have to say I find the plaque a little sycophantic and more about past and present businesses than abiout heritage…but maybe that is just me and I think I am being a bit harsh.

Certainly this doorway contains mystery and elicits curiosity.

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

 

Thursday doors

Door 16

Door, Pastimes, Lower Park Row, Bristol
Door, Pastimes, Lower Park Row, Bristol

These doors belong to a small shop called Pastimes, which tells us everything really, a shop was never so aptly named. I don’t think that anything about the decor of the shop, and indeed much of its content, has changed since the 1960s.

Door, Pastimes, Lower Park Row, Bristol
Door, Pastimes, Lower Park Row, Bristol

I would guess that it is owned and managed by a passionate collector, and not a shopkeeper. It looks very much like a situation where a hobby has spiralled out of control. I cannot recall seeing the shop being open…ever, and it appears to have been in a condition of stasis over the last couple of years. Maybe the owner is unwell or too old to look after things. But it is still there, and when I pass I gaze through the windows trying to see what lies within. Wartime memorabilia, stamps, cigarette cards, coins, plates…all those kinds of things adorn the walls (and floor space).

It is interesting that the shop seems to span two buildings, each with its own front door. I don’t know if they join up inside. The building itself is not kept in the best of repair, and I am left wondering if the owner of the shop is also the owner of the buildings – how else could the shop still be there?

I think every town has a shop like this. A wonderland. An old curiosity shop.

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

 

 

Thursday doors

Door 16.

Door, Moon Street, Ryder
Door, Moon Street, Ryder

Door, Moon Street, Bristol.

The artist who has tagged this door is called Ryder, and this is his shorthand that he sprays quickly as something of an elaborate tag. His writing work though is exceptional, see some examples below. The door itself is a little-used side door which accesses the Lakota club.

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See more doors at Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Thursday doors

Door 15

Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol

I love this door which I walk past most days on my way to work. It is not so much the door, but the door frame that attracts me. It has that ‘distressed’ look. Many years worth of different colour paints have been roughly exposed, intentionally I think, to produce this colour burst and polite nod to the passing of time.

Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol

Thursday doors has given me the platform to talk about this lovely door.

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Thursday doors

Door 14

Thursday door, Bradley Theodore, New York
Thursday door, Bradley Theodore, New York

I forget exactly where in New York  this door was, but I think it was in the East Village area.

Artist: Bradley Theodore (Theodoor)

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

 

 

Thursday doors

Door 13

Door, North Street, Bristol
Door, North Street, Bristol

The door of this shop on North Street in Bristol has outlived its former occupants. It will be interesting to see if the new owners will keep the door as it is or decide to lose it. It is an acquired taste, but very much in keeping with the area.

I believe that Norm 2.0, who curates Thursday Doors has taken a two week break over Christmas, but I have decided to soldier on regardless – I enjoy posting doors.

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Thursday doors

Door 12

Door, St Michael on the Mount Without, Bristol
Door, St Michael on the Mount Without, Bristol

The doors of this church have been boarded up since 1999 when it closed. In 2016 a fire caused structural damage to this listed building and I expect that is when this door was fitted.

The building has not had the easiest of times, having been hit by an incendiary bomb in 1941 during the Bristol blitz. There is more interesting information about this church on the short Wikipedia page.

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0