Living and working in a medieval and later Bristol suburb: Excavations at Redcliff Quarter 2016–2018

Excavations were undertaken ahead of redevelopment at Redcliff Quarter in Bristol between 2016 and 2018, enabling the investigation of medieval and later properties along Redcliff Street and St Thomas Street. A sequence of archaeological remains survived from the early 12th century to the modern period, providing detailed information, complemented by documentary research, about the lives, diets and trades of the suburb’s inhabitants. The results indicate that some belonged to Bristol’s prosperous mercantile class, while others were probably labourers or worked in trades such as butchery, dyeing and bell-founding. During the Georgian period, the character of both streets changed, as St Thomas Street became primarily residential and Redcliff Street was occupied by industrial concerns. The excavations detailed in this volume provide fascinating and often unexpected insights into the lives of those who lived and worked in the Redcliffe suburb of Bristol between the early 12th and early 20th centuries. This report presents the finds and environmental evidence recovered from the excavations.