News / Old Market
Kingsley Hall awarded £4.7m for renovations
Kingsley Hall has been awarded £4.7m to contribute to renovations.
The building which is currently used by youth homelessness charity, 1625 Independent People.
The grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is to renovate the historic building on Old Market Street for disadvantaged young people.
is needed now More than ever
Old Market Street contains buildings dating from as early as the 17th century – photo: Martin Booth
The 319-year-old Grade II-listed building was first placed on the Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2023.
In the same year it was announced it would be undergoing major works when the grant was first secured.
These changes will create space for increased accommodation, facilities and spaces for young people.
They are collaborating with over 450 young people and 40 partners to create a welcoming and safe space, to be use for new training sessions for people to wanting to get back into education or improved their employment opportunities.
There are also plans for a new social enterprise café and training kitchen and spaces to hire.
The proposed teaching room – image: Childs Sulzmann
Dom Wood, chief executive of 1625 Independent People, said: “As we celebrate this hugely significant funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we want to acknowledge the incredible role that young people have played in shaping our project.
“Their active engagement and expertise lie at the heart of our Kingsley Hall Heritage Project. We’re thrilled to transform our historic home into a vibrant community space, offering hope and opportunities for some of the region’s most vulnerable young people.
“With welcoming, safe spaces, vital new training facilities and new homes, our project will support young people to re-engage with education, access training and employment and build on their strengths.
“The social history of Kingsley Hall resonates with the young people we support, and Kingsley Hall will stand as a foundation 1625ip aim to extend this project beyond physical repairs and are using the opportunity to launch a heritage project that explores the history of the building and the area.”
Kingsley Hall in the 1970s – photo: National Heritage Lottery Fund
Kingsley Hall has been deeply embedded in the cultural and social tapestry of Bristol.
Built in 1706, it has hosted meetings of the Suffragettes and other women’s rights groups.
As well as debates and discussions regarding workers’ pay and conditions, migration and housing.
It was once used as a Conservative club in the late 1800s, before becoming the headquarters of the precursor to the modern Labour party founded by Keir Hardie in 1911.
Kingsley Hall in 1860 – image: Bristol Archives
Built on a medieval plot, Kingsley Hall stands out with its jettied upper floors supported by stone Doric columns, forming a pavement arcade.
The building is built on vaulted medieval stone cellars and medieval boundary walls, and features a timber dog-legged staircase.
Throughout the years, Old Market grew into a bustling area with diverse trades, commercial ventures, and residential spaces.
Kingsley Hall was owned by various maltsters and brewers, who were responsible for overseeing the production and harvesting of barley, the main ingredient in the production of malt whisky, from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s.
Built in 1706, Kingsley Hall oversails the pavement on five stout columns – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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