Situated in the heart of Bristol’s old city and opposite the historic Corn Exchange, The Commercial Rooms was built in 1810 as a meeting point for the city’s traders. The retained weather vane, above the bar, would let merchants know whether it was safe for ships to negotiate the treacherous Avon Gorge. The three statues at the top of this grade II listed building represent Bristol, commerce and navigation.placeholder image
Situated in the heart of Bristol’s old city and opposite the historic Corn Exchange, The Commercial Rooms was built in 1810 as a meeting point for the city’s traders. The retained weather vane, above the bar, would let merchants know whether it was safe for ships to negotiate the treacherous Avon Gorge. The three statues at the top of this grade II listed building represent Bristol, commerce and navigation. | Getty Images

How every Wetherspoons pub in Bristol got its name and the stories behind them

By Charlie Watts

Reporter

Published 14th Jan 2026, 16:00 GMT

The budget pub chain has a reputation of renovating old buildings, and these are the stories the buildings hold.

In addition to cheap food and drink, Wetherspoons is well known for taking old buildings and giving them a new lease of life as pubs and nightlife spots.

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With 10 of the chain’s pubs in Bristol, these are the stories behind each of the region’s pubs and how they turned into boozers after, in some cases, a long history.

The name Staple Hill appears on the earliest map of the area, dated 1610. However, no houses are shown on the map. All that is marked is an oak tree, known as The Staple Hill Oak. Staple Hill evolved as a community alongside an ancient track from Bristol to the Saxon royal hunting lodge at Pucklechurch. However, it was not until the 19th century that Staple Hill began to develop into the area we know today.

9. The Staple Hill Oak

The name Staple Hill appears on the earliest map of the area, dated 1610. However, no houses are shown on the map. All that is marked is an oak tree, known as The Staple Hill Oak. Staple Hill evolved as a community alongside an ancient track from Bristol to the Saxon royal hunting lodge at Pucklechurch. However, it was not until the 19th century that Staple Hill began to develop into the area we know today. | Google Maps

The Emersons Green suburb was built on farmland, an area recorded on an 1830 map simply as Hows Moor. Starting as just a hamlet, long before South Gloucestershire existed, it has grown steadily into a residential Bristol suburb. For 88 years (until 2015), it was in the civil parish of Mangotsfield Rural (derived from Old English ‘Mangod’s Feld’ and mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) as ‘Manegodesfelle’ and in 1377 as ‘Manegodesfeld’). The parish was renamed Emersons Green.

10. Emersons Green

The Emersons Green suburb was built on farmland, an area recorded on an 1830 map simply as Hows Moor. Starting as just a hamlet, long before South Gloucestershire existed, it has grown steadily into a residential Bristol suburb. For 88 years (until 2015), it was in the civil parish of Mangotsfield Rural (derived from Old English ‘Mangod’s Feld’ and mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) as ‘Manegodesfelle’ and in 1377 as ‘Manegodesfeld’). The parish was renamed Emersons Green. | Gillian Evans / Wetherspoon

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