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 33,450 visitors in 2018.[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 9 October 2019.
  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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