UK's long-lost funicular railway that was once 'cheapest ride in the world'

10 February 2024 , 10:05

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This year marks 90 years since the railway was closed (Image: Wiki Commons)

Hidden in the heart of Bristol is an almost century-old piece of history that many passers by are completely unaware of.

The site, now boarded up and derelict, sits right beside one of the city’s top attractions - the Clifton Suspension Bridge, overlooking the picturesque River Avon - and was once home to the former Clifton Rocks Railway. Today, some features of the old funicular railway remain, the most distinct being its disused entrance, which still reads ‘Clifton Rocks Railway’ alongside boarded up doors and windows.

The line used to link two areas - Clifton and Hotwell - at the bottom of the gorge, but despite serving huge crowds - 400,000 in its opening year - the service has not been used in 90 years. Instead, it has become a cherished relic of history, ranking within the top 10 hidden gems in England in 2021.

At the bottom of the gorge was the Hotwells railway station, part of the old Bristol Port and Pier Railway. Passengers exiting the Clifton Rocks Railway would be met by ferries and paddle streamers crossing the River Avon. The former railway was built as a funicular system, linking points along a very steep slope and using two pairs of trains on two tracks to steady itself.

It was built in 1893 and lasted 41 years until 1934, with a lack of demand prompting its closure. During the Second World War, the Clifton Rocks Railway turned into an air raid shelter for local residents, and also became a secret transmission base used by the BBC.

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An old Bristol Post article from 2001 recalled: "[During the war] much of the broadcasting apparatus was moved into the old Clifton Rocks Railway, once the world's only completely underground funicular railway. The BBC took it over in 1940 and held on to it until 1960 when the lease was returned to Bristol City Council. New floors were built across the tunnel where the trains once ran, ventilation installed to allow the occupants to survive any gas attacks, and an aerial mast fitted.

The railway opened its doors in the 1890's (Bristol Record Office)

"A recording room, transmitter room, control room and studio were built on the lower level while the British Overseas Airway Corporation (BOAC) used the upper section as a store room. It stored enough food, power and recorded programmes to last for three months. During air raids, staff at Whiteladies Road would jump into an armoured car, stationed permanently in the car park and drive to the secret studios to continue broadcasting in case Clifton was bombed. It was intended that this would be the last BBC base where broadcasts would be sent out if Britain was ever invaded.

An archived article from 2003, saw one person recall their journey on the railway. Bert Richings wrote: "I first went down in 1920 and each carriage held about 20 people. It was definitely the quickest way to get to the Portway - and the cheapest. They reckoned it was the shortest and cheapest ride in the world - just a penny each way. If only they could have kept it going. What a wonderful attraction it would have made for tourists. It's a great pity it was dismantled.

"It was grand to go from the zoo down the Rocks Railway and board a tram car on the top deck to go home. There was always the chance of seeing a ship come up the river, or of seeing the old steam engine that used to puff its way along the other side of the river - that was a wonderful sight."

In 2019, Bristol Live reported on plans for the railway to turn into a museum after it was bought out, but little progress appears to have been made since.

Zahra Khaliq