Rownham Ferry

Rownham Ferry is an ancient crossing point of the River Avon. The Ferry's history goes back at least to the twelfth century and it may have been a fording point at very low tides (doubtless a very unpleasant muddy one) before that.

For most of its life the Ferry crossed the River Avon near the entrance of the Avon Gorge. Crossing from the then Somersetshire side of the river (close to the current Police Mounted and Dog Section buildings on Rownham Hill) across the river to Rownham Tavern (external link to bristol's lost pubs) in Hotwells.

In John Speed's tudor atlas: The Counties of Britain mapped between 1596 and 1610. Rownham Ferry at this time is shown as 'Rounam Pafage' on the Somersetshire map and as 'Rownam Pafsage' on the Gloucestershire map.

Its given the same significance as the then villages of Clifton and Bedminfter (Bedminster) and was plainly an important crossing. Its shown in the Hartcliff and Bedminster hundred of Somersetshire. The hundred being an administrative subdivision at that time.

Above Rownham Ferry from Hotwells my (I hope) informed guess at dates is somewhere between 1842 and 1866 but I would welcome another opinion about its date and the artist name - contact me.

Its certainly dated before 1873 without the major changes to the Hotwells riverside made in 1873. Also likely to be pre 1866 too as there are no sign of the railway built behind the New Inn (see below) in 1866. Thats based on Reece Winstone's - Bristol as it was books 1879-1874 and 1874-1866.

Above photo and the following two close ups photos courtesy of Cort Day.

Note there is some damage to the painting, the aerial object is a rip in the fabric rather than an early flying machine.

Rownham Ferry approaching what I think is the long gone New Inn that became Clifton Railway Station in 1866.

Hotwells riverside, Bristol Docks entrance would be just to the left of this. With a queue for the ferry on the Bristol side as well.

On the above photo, note the white flag pole or signal post, this is visible on several photos in the Reece Winstone collections of photos in the 1860's but not on the 1841/2 print below.

Bristol from Rownham Ferry probably from 1841/2. From a print by the illustrator William Henry Bartlett engraved by S.Bradshaw.

Close up of Bristol Docks entrance, Rownham Tavern and Ferry on the left.

Post 1873

The ferry moved upstream after the expansion of Cumberland Basin in 1873, surviving until the 1930's. With slipways built on the Ashton Meadows (now Greville Smyth Park) and Cumberland Basin sides.

The slipway on the Ashton Meadows (Bower Ashton) side of the Ferry is in the foreground of the photo above, with Brunel's Suspension Bridge spanning the start of the Avon Gorge. Taken from beneath the Avon Bridge.

The Rownham Ferry crossing point is now only visible at low tide in Greville Smyth Park or from the riverside path beside Brunel Lock Road. The causeway continues on the other side but is rarely visible and usually completely covered in mud.

More Information (external sites)

• photoship.co.uk: Bristol from Rownham Ferry
• Swansea Museum have a couple of good photo's of the crossing by John Dillwyn Llewelyn (Swansea: 1810 to 82).
  • Clifton from Rownham Ferry, actually Hotwells and Clifton I think.
  • Rownham Ferry from Princes Terrace, Clifton.
• Rownham Ferry together with Charles II in 1651 hiding in the woods nearby, gets a mention in National Gazetteer (1868) - Abbots Leigh. For more on Charles II escape see The Escape of Charles Stuart After Worcester the Stratford to Bristol section.
• No online photos available but Reece Winston's 'Bristol as it was' books have many photos of the Ferry.
• Bristol History Online (1661): Ashton to Ashton, West see under Ashton, Long (All Saints Entry). Mention of a chapel and a hermitage at Rounham Ferry.

• The slipways at least are still in occasional use by The Avon Canoe Pilot

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