Old Market

Old Market is a conservation area in Bristol centred on Old Market Street and West Street as the main axis, bounded by New Street, Trinity Road, Unity Street, and the Temple Way Underpass. The district contains over sixty listed buildings from different periods, including the Methodist Central Hall, Holy Trinity Church, and the Palace Hotel.

The area developed outside Bristol Castle walls along the main London road and grew as a marketplace from the mid-12th century onwards, with agricultural gardens nearby. This origin as a trading centre shaped how the place was used and valued for many centuries.

The neighbourhood displays a mix of architectural styles from different periods, from churches to historic commercial buildings, which still shape the character of its streets today. This visible variety reflects how the area functioned as a living marketplace over centuries while remaining an important religious and social centre.

As a conservation area within an established city, the neighbourhood is straightforward to reach and navigate on foot, with typical urban facilities nearby. The streets are relatively busy and offer good opportunities to observe the historical buildings and daily life of a traditional market neighbourhood.

Until 1971, the Pie Poudre Court operated here, a special court for swift judgements on market-day offences, its name deriving from the French "pieds poudrés" meaning dusty feet. This unusual legal system shows how important and self-governing this marketplace was in the medieval city structure.