Canon’s Marsh is one square kilometre of new development in central Bristol: is it an area struggling businesses and ill fated tourist attractions, or the heart of Bristol’s much planned new café culture? The summer of 2010 will decide its fate.

Canon’s Marsh is situated on the north side of Floating Harbour, immediately to the west of the River Frome spur (St Augustine’s Reach) The area borders Hotwells to the west, Clifton to the north and the city centre to the north east. Historically it was a shipbuilding area until the last yard closed in 1904, incorporating two of Teast’s Docks and including J&W Peters shipyard. Canon’s Wharf was once one of the busiest quays in the docks, with its own branch of the Bristol Harbour Railway, cranes and a goods shed. The area was also the location of the city gas works. With the decline of industry throughout the 20th century, Canon’s Marsh was cleared to make way for urban renewal plans.

Long referred to as the wasteland behind the much debated Waterfront strip, 2008-09 saw a surge in activity and planning in this much forgotten corner of town. Sure we had a ludicrously expensive and seldom visited rainforest attraction and the IMAX was worth a once in a lifetime trip, but it seemed as if no-one below the age of 40 and above the age of 11 ever ventured past the glass corridor dividing millennium square firmly in two.

Today Canon’s Marsh houses some of Bristol’s finest and most glamorous properties that are far removed from the drunken nonsense the Waterfront has become renown for. This area of town is set to become a jewel in the crown for Bristol’s café culture, so much so that recent non too quiet rumblings and mass closing of bars along the front would seem to support the fact that Bristol City Council has big plans for this place.

If 2018 sees Bristol’s successful campaign to host games for the World Cup, Millennium Square in front of the giant TV screen and enclosed on both sides by bronze mementos of Bristol’s fabulous and inspirational past coupled with water features, then more people will be spending time in this forgotten quarter of Bristol’s heritage. But 2018 is a long way off, hell the Mayans predict the end of the world before then (or a change in global consciousness…whatever) so let us shuffle off down there way before that and I’ll tell you what I like best; the grub!!

Seldom businesses seem to have as done as well from startup as The Living Room. I love it. It’s glamorous, well looked after, has great food and even greater cocktails. If the hundreds of patrons at 7pm on a Saturday night are anything to go by, then long may they reign. This venture brings a different audience to the area as do the other restaurants on its doorstep. Sat right next door to The Living Room, is a Bristol staple and one which has weathered the recent and all encompassing financial storm fantastically; ZEN. Easily Bristol’s finest Chinese restaurant and one which attract praise from all corners of the South West with fresh, well thought out menus, an inspiring chef and first rate service. It is a special treat restaurant, not an all you can eat buffet. These are an indication of where Canon’s Marsh wants to be, and why not?

We love the statues, commemorating Bristol finest and most proud sons, the post-modern water features and the signpost pointing to the stars. All in all it’s a beautiful area. Why don’t people use it? What is the glass wall preventing people from stepping over that boundary? Businesses are opening thick and fast but its an entirely different clientele from the beer swilling loons the Waterfront used to be renowned for, but take a walk down there. That area is changing, bars and clubs are closing; the time for the Waterfront as a pub crawl destination are long gone. Bristol has plans for this area, café culture here we come!

What do you think? Are you ready for it, do you embrace it? If not, why not? Do you love the area? Like what they are doing with it? Think it needs something more? Seriously we want to know, log on to www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk and give us some feedback.

Photos by Ian Bradley www.ianbradleyphotography.com