6 ‘then and now’ pictures showing the changing face of Bristol’s lost pubs

There are hundreds of pubs to be explored around Bristol, many of which are the heart of their communities where residents gather every week.

Scores of pubs have been closed across the city in recent decades while others undergo substantial renovations losing almost all resemblance to their original appearances. Bristol World has collected images of six historic pubs, some now gone and some still serving pints, and compared how they look then and now.

Here’s how they have changed:

Whitehall Tavern, Redfield: The Whitehall Tavern continues to thrive as a pub with its original corner door. The building was originally used as a corner shop until the First World War when it became a pub. The older image was taken in 1956 and the building looks unrecognisable with its white exterior compared to its now completely black paint job.

Black Horse, Bedminster: These buildings were amongst the first completed in Nelsons’ Parade in 1857. The Blackhorse included a carriageway to the left of the entrance leading to the rear garden - this would later become an extension of the pub. The older image shows the pub in 1956 looking rundown during the last years of its United Breweries tenure. It would have its name changed to The Ropewalk during the 1990s and it is known for its good atmosphere and live music events.

Bunch of Grapes, King Street: This older image shows the Bunch of Grapes pub at 31 King Street in 1965. The building now operates as the Small Bar with a rustic aesthetic inside and out compared to its earlier iteration.

The Plough, St Werburghs: The Plough pub, often referred to as ‘The Old Plough’, opened in the mid 1870s. The Macey family ran the public house from 1907 to 1971 until George Macey, who took over as landlord in 1944, retired. The building had many uses in the following years unti 2017 when it was repurposed as the Hazrat Bilal Masjid -a purpose built hub for the local Muslim community to pray, meet and learn.

The Lion Tavern, Hotwells: Found in Church Lane, leading down towards Hotwells, the Lion Tavern was first referenced in 1865 in Webster’s Directory as ‘Samuel Sims, beer retailer, Clifton Wood’. The Lion was once one of around 600 pubs controlled by Bristol United Breweries, as was the case in this picture taken in 1956, until it was taken over first by Georges and then by Courage around the turn of the millennium. It remains a popular local and hasn’t strayed too far from its original appearance.

The Foresters Arms, Westbury-on-Trym: The Foresters Arms ceased trading as a pub in 2012 before it was turned into a Tesco Express. Here it is pictured in 1955 when owned by Geroges’, it would be purchased by Courage six years later, in 1961, for £15,050. Much of the building’s appearance is the same, with some added trolleys.