IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Baldwin Street, BRISTOL, BS1 1RU

The building on Clare Street is now a Tesco Metro branch, but was originally a bank branch. Clare Street itself was an extension of Corn Street, further up, but before that the area had two of Bristol's lost city centre streets, Rose Street and Swan Street, in the eighteenth century. See Image for a wider view.

Now a Tesco, but retaining the fine architectural details. See Image] for the doorway embellishment.

Attractive and decorative upper storeys in Bath stone above a utilitarian C20th shopfront (Tesco inside). By Frederick Mew, 1883, altered by Benjamin Wakefield in 1924, and something must have been done in 1895 as the date also appears in the frieze.. Grade II listed.

Now a fast coffee shop, but retaining some original features above the ground level.

A new shop front has half obliterated the older carvings. The price of progress, one assumes.

Fine old city centre buildings are often left in the past and their histories are swept away when they are taken over by unrelated businesses. Today it is a (near-ubiquitous) coffee shop. The Royal Exchange Assurance company was founded in 1720 and, through various means and acts of Parliament, was granted the rights to marine shipping insurance business - along with the London Assurance Company. The business went on be merged with Guardian Assurance Company and the name lost in 1968.

Money was certainly spent on this old financial building in Bristol city centre.

Looking eastwards in Baldwin Street

Despite being right in the midst of the traffic and bustle, an opportunity for a wild shrub has been taken. It sits at the top of the balcony of the nineteenth century building.