Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[johnneyw]

The BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) tunnels tours begin from this passage. They are part of the annual Bristol Open Doors Days and the tours are free, but get booked very quickly due to limited spaces and high demand.

From a google search: https://www.flickr.com/photos/newage2/sets/72157624024078970/

As mentioned here and earlier on, these tours are booked out in the blink of an eye. I've had zero success in getting myself on a tour over some years. There must be people waiting online for the very second that tickets become available to book them. Sells out quicker than Glasto or the FA Cup.

[Rob on the hill]

The BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) tunnels tours begin from this passage. They are part of the annual Bristol Open Doors Days and the tours are free, but get booked very quickly due to limited spaces and high demand.

From a google search: https://www.flickr.com/photos/newage2/sets/72157624024078970/

As mentioned here and earlier on, these tours are booked out in the blink of an eye. I've had zero success in getting myself on a tour over some years. There must be people waiting online for the very second that tickets become available to book them. Sells out quicker than Glasto or the FA Cup.

I managed to get on one of the tunnel tours in 2016. It wasn't part of Open Doors but a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 175th anniversary event. It included a tunnel tour followed by ferry boat to ss Great Britain and guided tour of the ship/museum.

[Robin Summerhill]

As regards direct egress from the subway to the main station approach, as I recall there wasn't much of a landing at the top of those stairs. Ticket inspectors stood on both sides of the exit, and that used to create a log jam on the stairs. You would only need one person to fall over in the queue and a lot of people behind them would find themselves being knocked over and falling back down the stairs.

Thinking more about it now, it wouldn't surprise me if someone thought it a bit hazardous even back then, and H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) legislation wouldn't countenance the arrangement at all these days.

This may explain why this particular route out of the station was completely abandoned and permanently blocked up, whilst the others just had locked gates at their openings. (In the case of Cattle Market Road route it's got the Lost Property Office sitting in front of it now.)

[GBM]

And I am still the proud owner of a Man From UNCLE badge!

How did you get that?

[Red Squirrel]

And I am still the proud owner of a Man From UNCLE badge!

How did you get that?

Didn't they used to hand them out at Del Floria's Tailor Shop?

[johnneyw]

And I am still the proud owner of a Man From UNCLE badge!

How did you get that?

Didn't they used to hand them out at Del Floria's Tailor Shop?

Not to me they didn't but they did a wonderful job with pressing my trousers!

Found the badges collecting dust in the back of a little shop in Hope Cove in 1980 but alas no one pointed me to a hidden door.  5p each, had to buy the lot. Sold/gave away most of them to friends but still have at least one.

[caliwag]

Article in your esteemed local Trumpet...is this of any newsworthiness or something drummed up on a quiet Monday by Phil Space and Phillipa Page (Apologies to Private Eye)

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-temple-meads-junction-trains-3031350

[Robin Summerhill]

When was this closed? The masonry on the outer wall looks old.

Bristol Temple Meads became a Grade I listed building on 1st Nov 1966 (see here for details: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1282106). Even if, as Robin Summerhill suggests, the entrance was blocked a few years before that date, I think they would have had sufficient sensitivity to use matching stonework.

I was at Temple Meads today so I went to have a more detailed look at the external wall where the exit via the stairway once was.

The infilled section very closely matches the original. All a trained eye could see was that the blockwork is very slightly less rough and the individual blocks are a little smaller.

[Chris from Nailsea]

As well as the exit to the underside of the incline,that comes out below the Station frontage,.

I didn't know about that one - and I used to work there 

It's still used occasionally as a route to busses on rail replacement.

I have used it and it felt as though we were walking all the way to Yatton.  It also needs a good scrub and a coat of paint.

Where's the entrance from the subway then? Under the stairs by the lift to platform 3?

Yes

Confusion seems to reign on this one.

Someone's going to love me for so many levels of quoting. 

Ahem! 

[Rob on the hill]

The BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) tunnels tours begin from this passage. They are part of the annual Bristol Open Doors Days and the tours are free, but get booked very quickly due to limited spaces and high demand.

From a google search: https://www.flickr.com/photos/newage2/sets/72157624024078970/

As mentioned here and earlier on, these tours are booked out in the blink of an eye. I've had zero success in getting myself on a tour over some years. There must be people waiting online for the very second that tickets become available to book them. Sells out quicker than Glasto or the FA Cup.

I managed to get on one of the tunnel tours in 2016. It wasn't part of Open Doors but a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 175th anniversary event. It included a tunnel tour followed by ferry boat to ss Great Britain and guided tour of the ship/museum.

The BTM tunnels are not included in the Open Doors weekend in September, which is a shame. Anyone know why this is?

Here are the venues for this year: https://bristolopendoors.org.uk/whats-on/

[Noggin]

For anyone who is interested, the inbound bus stop outside the Sidings/Reckless Engineer pub is now out of action as of yesterday and looks as though it will be imminently removed for the pavement to be widened. 

The new bus stop a little further in has opened, although it is definitely unfinished, and has an air of someone realising at the last minute that there would be hell to pay if everyone had to get off at the bottom of Victoria Street / outside the Garden Inn as I'd seen posted elsewhere. 

[martyjon]

For anyone who is interested, the inbound bus stop outside the Sidings/Reckless Engineer pub is now out of action as of yesterday and looks as though it will be imminently removed for the pavement to be widened. 

The new bus stop a little further in has opened, although it is definitely unfinished, and has an air of someone realising at the last minute that there would be hell to pay if everyone had to get off at the bottom of Victoria Street / outside the Garden Inn as I'd seen posted elsewhere. 

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) the new bus stop is a Metrobus stop, the inbound stop for other services will be in Victoria Street, described as a 5 minute walk to the side entrance to the railway station. Out of interest also, the outbound stop for the Brislington P & R is on Redcliffe Way opposite St. Mary's Redcliffe Church which is about a 10 minute walk from the station entrance whilst the service passes the new bus stop at the bottom of the incline, a 2 minute walk from the stations main entrance.

For years I have thought that those planning the present day road network of Bristol were bonkers, with the latest unveilings I realise we got what we got when its devised by idiots.

[TonyK]

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) the new bus stop is a Metrobus stop, the inbound stop for other services will be in Victoria Street, described as a 5 minute walk to the side entrance to the railway station. Out of interest also, the outbound stop for the Brislington P & R is on Redcliffe Way opposite St. Mary's Redcliffe Church which is about a 10 minute walk from the station entrance whilst the service passes the new bus stop at the bottom of the incline, a 2 minute walk from the stations main entrance.

For years I have thought that those planning the present day road network of Bristol were bonkers, with the latest unveilings I realise we got what we got when its devised by idiots.

I'm sure it will all make sense when the new side entrance to Temple Meads is finished. In about 5 years' time.

[Phantom]

For anyone who is interested, the inbound bus stop outside the Sidings/Reckless Engineer pub is now out of action as of yesterday and looks as though it will be imminently removed for the pavement to be widened. 

The new bus stop a little further in has opened, although it is definitely unfinished, and has an air of someone realising at the last minute that there would be hell to pay if everyone had to get off at the bottom of Victoria Street / outside the Garden Inn as I'd seen posted elsewhere. 

I must admit I did panic when my bus carried on past here last night

On early plans the new stop was going to be near the abandoned hotel.
But as the many of the buses that stop at Temple Meads now come past St Mary Redcliffe perhaps these plans have changed

[Noggin]

For anyone who is interested, the inbound bus stop outside the Sidings/Reckless Engineer pub is now out of action as of yesterday and looks as though it will be imminently removed for the pavement to be widened. 

The new bus stop a little further in has opened, although it is definitely unfinished, and has an air of someone realising at the last minute that there would be hell to pay if everyone had to get off at the bottom of Victoria Street / outside the Garden Inn as I'd seen posted elsewhere. 

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) the new bus stop is a Metrobus stop, the inbound stop for other services will be in Victoria Street, described as a 5 minute walk to the side entrance to the railway station. Out of interest also, the outbound stop for the Brislington P & R is on Redcliffe Way opposite St. Mary's Redcliffe Church which is about a 10 minute walk from the station entrance whilst the service passes the new bus stop at the bottom of the incline, a 2 minute walk from the stations main entrance.

For years I have thought that those planning the present day road network of Bristol were bonkers, with the latest unveilings I realise we got what we got when its devised by idiots.

The number 2 stopped there on Monday, but that was perhaps driver error/mutiny avoidance!