Portland Square

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What a wonderful treat!

Strangers to Bristol would be forgiven for coming to this square on a sunny afternoon and thinking it was a very nice area indeed. The traditional black iron railings enclosing a small green space with trees and paths and benches, overlooked by rows of grand Georgian houses and just a stone’s throw away from the brand new multi-​million pound Cabot Circus development. Why then are house prices and rents so cheap? Well, you’d need to come back after dark to discover the reason behind that. For those friendly young women in short skirts and boots aren’t merely revellers heading out to the pub for the night — yep, you guessed it they’re ladies of the night. And with ladies of the night come the much less savoury men of the night, including a 80-​something guy who was prosecuted for kerb crawling after being found in his car with his pants round his ankles. Yuk.

What a revelation! A beautiful, quiet, Georgian square right in the middle of St Paul’s. I had no idea this was here until I decided one day to take a different route from a friend’s house in St Werburghs to the centre of town. And I’m so glad I did, because this is, I repeat, a revelation! It feels as though you’ve suddenly stumbled into elegant Fitzroy Square in London: all pale buildings, black railings, and a lovely tree-​lined park in the centre.
The buildings in the square are mainly occupied by businesses, including (in true Fitzrovia style) publishers. I’m sure some of the upper levels of the buildings are residential, but not many. It’s quiet with a sense of mysterious activity behind each door, which makes it a good place to come and sit and read or just have a civilised little sit down when passing through the centre of town.

Portland Square can be found hiding from the mayhem of Cabot Circus just into the slightly scary area of St Paul’s. The small square is a nice secluded place to hang out on a summers day; surrounded by old buildings and a beautiful church, it is a quiet green space. Probably best avoided at night though as there may be a few shady characters around.
On a side note: If you’re looking to find a cheeky parking space in the centre for an hour or two try the roads around here as you can sometimes find space.

Portland Square is a good find– a nice little park in the centre of a Georgian square in St Pauls. The church that is its focal point is called St Pauls, perhaps after the area, or vice versa, I’m not sure. The grandeur of the square is a bit rare for this low side of town — this type of architecture is more usual up on the hill in Clifton.
The park is surrounded by a road which links the 5 approach roads through which you can reach the square, but surprisingly it never feels like you’re in the middle of a roundabout (which effectively you are), but it’s actually rather peaceful, as you sit below the impressively tall trees.
It’s in a good location now that Cabot Circus has been built — come here for a little respite or picnic on a shopping day and you’ll realise there’s definitely a charm to the place.
Goes a little downhill at night though, as this is a known haunt of ladies of the night, but stick to the awesome bar to the left of the square, Cosies. There was a really impressive (FREE!) fireworks display on Bonfire night, which lasted a good 15 minutes, so there’s clearly a decent sesnse of community spirit going on. All pluses.

For a real slice of Bristol head to Portland Square. This regal Georgian square is flanked by the motorway and Broadmead on one side and St. Pauls on the others. Add to this that the buildings are all full of offices and a saunter through Portland Square means your as likely to see a few prostitutes as well business men and shoppers.
Whilst all of Bristol’s parks over a respite from the stresses of the city, this one is particularly good if you’ve just traipsed around Cabot Circus or Broadmead and need a break. You will have to take a bridge over the three lane road, but this just mean you will appreciate the square all the more
Last night I saw a fantastic fireworks display (it being bonfire night), when things were definitely not as quiet as usual. Most of the time though, Portland Square is quiet, peaceful, and elegant.