The Abolition Shed, Prince St, Bristol

Over the years, the prosperity of Bristol has relied on some fairly unsavoury or at least now unfashionable trades, from slavery, to tobacco to the still flourishing, albeit understandably secretive defence and armaments industry. Perhaps surprisingly, given the city’s lengthy and substantial involvement, there is no Museum of Slavery, an omission that the Abolition Shed Collective hopes to put right. To this end, local historian Mark Steeds and others identified the war-damaged and now substantially derelict former Seamen’s Mission in Prince St as a suitable home.

The building however, was owned by Sam Smith’s Brewery, owners of surprisingly numerous properties in Bristol, far from their Yorkshire home. Despite numerous attempts to make contact and solicit their support, no response whatever was received until the service of notice in the Planning Application seems to have hit a nerve, and the building miraculously appeared on the market. Only to be bought by our clients down the road at the Llandoger Trow! 

Planning Permission was granted in January 2024, although in the absence of suitable funding, the project is unlikely to progress. Potential sponsors of a £2-5 million restoration welcome.