8 pictures of the hidden shopping street in Bristol which could soon be gone forever

Much has been said about the ambitious plans to knock down Bristol city centre’s Premier Inn for two high-rise residential blocks - but little has been mentioned about a two-tiered shopping precinct which would be lost if the project goes ahead.

Haymarket Walk was recently described as the grottiest spot in Bristol - that was until work was carried out to clean up the shopping area between the Bearpit and Bristol Bus Station in 2020. And today, as these pictures show, most of the units are closed and it’s being used by rough sleepers - but it still has a beating heart.

Loot Vintage takes up most of one side of the upper tier, while Korean restaurant Sky Kong Kong, open eight months of the year, is also there along with Mayflower Chinese Restaurant, which is highly-rated on TripAdvisor.

But the next year it could all be gone, as plans are in place to knock down the Premier Inn and re-landscape the surrounding area to create two high-rise residential blocks. One block, 26 storeys high, would have around 422 rooms. The second block, 20 storeys high, would be for co-living with 132 homes.

Meanwhile, ‘safe and active’ walkways would be introduced to connect the site with Bearpit, under the St James Barton Roundabout. But there will be no space fo the shops in Haymarket Market Walk. Wizzy Chung, of Sky Kong Kong, told BristolWorld she’d been told she’ll have to move next year.

“We’re running out of places for independent, small businesses in our city centre,” she said. “The places are too big and the rents are too high - it is all suited to large, chain shops and restaurants. I don’t know where I’m going to go next.”

Here are 8 pictures of the shopping precinct today (August 15):