Georgian House, Bristol

The Georgian House (grid reference ST581728) is a historic building at 7 Great George Street, Bristol, England. It was originally built around 1790 for John Pinney, a wealthy sugar merchant and slave plantation owner, and is now furnished and displayed as a typical late 18th century town house. The period house museum includes a drawing room, eating room, study, kitchen, laundry and housekeeper’s room. There is also a small display on slavery and sugar plantations. The Georgian House has been a branch of Bristol City Council since it was presented to the city as a museum in 1937.

The Georgian House Museum
The Georgian House Museum
Location within Bristol
General information
Town or city7 Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5RR
CountryEngland
Coordinates51.4526°N 2.6044°W / 51.4526; -2.6044
Construction started1788
Completed1791
ClientJohn Pinney
Design and construction
ArchitectWilliam Paty

The museum is open from 1 April to 31 December on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 11am-4pm. It received 32,127 visitors in 2019.[1]

History

The Georgian House is a well-preserved example of a typical late 18th-century town house, which has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.[2] It was built around 1790 for John Pinney, a sugar merchant and slave plantation owner, and is believed to be the house where the poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge first met.[3] It was also home to Pinney's slave, Pero, after whom Pero's Bridge at Bristol Harbour is named.[4]

It contains some of the original furniture and fittings, such as the bureau-bookcase in the study and a rare cold water plunge bath, and has been used as a location for the BBC TV series A Respectable Trade, which was adapted from the book by Philippa Gregory, about the slave trade.

Areas of the house
  • The Dining Room
  • Pinney’s Study
  • The Drawing Room
  • Library and a Ladies’ Withdrawing Room
  • The Bedroom
  • A hidden staircase
  • A small lift (dumb waiter)
  • The Housekeeper’s Room
  • The cold water plunge pool

Film and media

On 5 July 2010, Amanda Vickery filmed scenes for her series At home with the Georgians at the Georgian House.[5]

See also

References
  1. "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. "The Georgian House, attached front area railings and rear garden walls". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
  3. "Georgian House". Homes and Gardens. Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  4. "Bristol's Georgian House". Bristol Museums. Archived from the original on 5 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  5. "Amanda Vickery tweet 5 July 2010". Retrieved 14 February 2016.
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