7 photos of the posh shopping street in Bristol that’s now a ‘ghost town’

Once a thriving shopping and hospitality area in the heart of Bristol, Queens Road is looking increasingly tired and deserted as businesses continue to close and move out.

In the past two weeks alone, the large branch of NatWest bank and posh bridal store Allison Jayne closed, their units now empty.

Last month, Portuguese bakery Nata & Co closed its doors after just ten months, the disappointed owners citing ‘high costs’ as one reason for giving up after less than a year.

Units with ‘shop to let’ and ‘all enquiries’ signs outside are now commonplace on Queens Road and have been for a while.

Wahaca Mexican restaurant closed in the summer of 2020 and the unit is still empty, as is the vast site briefly occupied by chicken restaurant Backyard, which closed last year.

Both Paperchase and Vinegar Hill closed their doors earlier this year and there are empty units where Goodbody Wellness and the Be Lucky amusement arcade were until last year.

Happily, there have been new openings, too. Taco Bell has opened where the White Stuff clothes store was and Joe’s Tea has replaced Bubbleology.

Queens Road has seen better days but according to Vicky Lee, head of Bristol City Centre BID, there are new openings expected later in the year.

She says: “Many of the current vacant units on Queens Road already have new tenants lined up to take on the lease, which will add to the diverse offering of this iconic city centre location.

“Whilst these tenants get ready to move in, we have been preparing to deliver with Upfest a renaissance-inspired style paint jam on the shop fronts in celebration of Bristol’s 650th year as a city.

“The project will bring colour to the street and transform it into an outdoor art gallery, transporting residents and visitors back in time to the renaissance period ahead of new retail and food and drink concepts arriving later in the year.”