Historic pub in south Bristol targets reopening before Christmas

An historic pub closed four years ago looks on course to reopen by Christmas as major works continue on site.

The Cross Hands, which sits on the corner of Bedminster Down Road and Bishopsworth Road, opened as a coaching inn in 1824 - but under Greene King’s ownership, the pub shut down in 2019.

Now work is taking place to reopen the pub, along with four bed and breakfast rooms, following purchase of the site by Bedminster-based Wring Group Ltd, which got permission for the project from Bristol City Council last year.

The plan is to refurbish the pub and create a rear courtyard which will provide a space for food pop-ups. The rear skittle alley is also being replaced with a function room while the bed and breakfast rooms will be built above it.

Having started work properly in January, project manager Claire Taylor said she hoped the pub would be back open by Christmas.

In an update, she said: “The ground work is taking place at the back of the site before the block work begins. We’ve had to work on a new roof and the whole back area has been demolished.

“It’s an old site and the structural work takes time to do. We’re aiming to have the pub open for Christmas with the bed and breakfast soon after.

“It is exciting - the pub is being completely revamped with open log fires, a rustic interior and a large rear courtyard space for pop-up food companies to come in.”

Plans were first unveiled for the project in March last year, and there were hopes the work could be completed sooner - but workload pressures on Bristol City Council’s planning department meant approval took some time.

With the cost of living crisis and energy bills leading to pub closures in the Bristol region, the reopening of the pub has been welcomed by those locally.