Bristol's Literary Pub Trail

Have you ever looked on the fantastic Bristol ’s Lost Pubs website and wondered why two former Bristol pubs were named “The Antelope”? Well one of the reasons might be Jonathan Swift’s classic novel “Gulliver’s Travels where the hero of the piece set sail from Bristol in a ship called “The Antelope”. Another pub to look out for is the former Bush Inn and Tavern in Corn Street (now Lloyds Bank) which had strong links with Charles Dickens. Incidentally this pub also featured Bristol’s most famous real life landlord John Weeks whose turtle Soup and bill of Fare was known throughout the Empire.

These are just a couple of examples of the many great literary links that exist with Bristol ’s pubs, ones that go hack many centuries. Do readers know that “ Simon the Cellarer” was based on a Bristol character for instance?

To celebrate yet another historical literary link, a group of local people have got together to form the Long John Silver Statue Trust. The Trust’s aim is to try and put the past on parade by taking Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story of Treasure Island and retelling it in a series of high quality, high visibility sculptures every one sighted sympathetically against the backdrop of Bristol’s surviving historic streets and inns, prominently placed with a good view from the floating harbour.

This last point is paramount in our thoughts as we intend to have two trails for people to enjoy, one for land-lubbers, and one for ferry-passengers. Taking the idea a stage further it might even be possible to commission a specially built ferry for those amongst us with special needs.

Click here to see a map of the trails in a new window.

It is proposed that the trail should start at the bottom of King Street with that most sinister of characters, Blind Pew, tip-tapping his way past the Llandoger Trow, and on to the Admiral Benbow pub (now unfortunately absorbed into “The Volley”), bearing his black spot for the hapless Billy Bones.

At this point the trail splits up, with ferry passengers proceeding to the Grove whilst land-lubbers can cross beautiful Queen’s Square (where Bristol’s most successful privateer Woodes Rogers lived), before moving on to the Hole in the Wall pub.

Here the trail comes together again and we meet Stevenson’s greatest creation, the anti-hero Long John Silver, one of the most complex characters ever created in fiction. Allegedly crippled in the service of the King under Admiral Hawke, the world’s most famous pub landlord enjoyed a mixed-race marriage (unheard of in 1883!) and was crucially misunderstood by confirmed bachelors Dr Livesey and Squire Trelawney (they thought he was trying to escape his wife - not pursue treasure). He was described recently as the ultimate businessman and politician. He is surely the star of Treasure Island .

If Silver was portrayed on a large chunk of Red Cliff he would be seen easily from the water and would also be looking out towards Redcliffe itself. This is important as Redcliffe is the recognised birthplace of Blackbeard who happens to be US’s spiritual ancestor. Yo ho-ho and a bottle of rum was one of his “tricks” and a recurring theme throughout the book.

The third subject in our series would be Jim Hawkins, set up across the water from Silver on Redcliffe Wharf, and looking up apprehensively at him, whilst leaning against some apple barrels. This is another vital aspect of the story as it was here that Silver and his cut-throats betrayed their true colours by being overheard.

It has been suggested that if some of the barrels were hollow, children could climb on them and replicate Jim’s actions by overhearing those around the sculpture - or just popping out and frightening them. Land-lubbers would have to cross Redcliffe Bridge to reach Jim, but ferry-passengers can just look between the two.

Carrying on along Redcliffe (or Phoenix ) Wharf, you come to the popular Redcliffe Caves and here the Trust proposes to put artwork number four, Ben Gunn. Just as much based on Alexander Selkirk as Robinson Crusoe was, Ben Gunn is yet another reason as to why RLS chose Bristol as the backbone for Treasure Island.

As most Bristolians know, Selkirk was rescued from four years and four months of solitary hell by Woodes Rogers and his party (part-sponsored by Sir John Hawkins, Bristol brewer and Lord Mayor), and by capturing a Spanish Treasure Ship together they returned to Bristol wealthy men. Afterwards, whilst Rogers was attempting to procure a fleet for the South Sea Island Company, Selkirk stayed in Bristol for nearly two years, sometimes parading around in his goatskins to the amusement of passers-by.

Whilst Selkirk lived in the Cock & Bottle, local legend states that he met Daniel Defoe in the Star a few doors away in Cock & Bottle Lane. He might even have stayed in Bristol longer had he not beaten up a fellow sailor in a drunken brawl and then absconded. Selkirk ’s favourite tipple apparently was egg-flip!

I digress: Ben Gunn was critical to the plot of Treasure Island, as he essentially rescued the goodies and thwarted the baddies, ultimately moving the treasure to his cave, and Gunn’s little coracle was what Jim used to board the Hispaniola (then in pirate hands).

If we move along the quay side we come to another famous Bristol Inn, the Ostrich, and here we propose to erect a ship’s mast and portray Israel Hands crashing to his death. This was yet another key point in the story: Israel Hands was Jim’s nemesis, and by killing him, young Hawkins secured the Hispaniola for the goodies, as well as ridding himself of an arch enemy.

In real life Israel Hands was Blackbeard ’s navigator and only happenstance saved him from Execution Dock. Just before Blackbeard ’s ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, did battle with the Royal Navy, they quarreled and Hands’ life was saved because he was ashore recovering from his wounds.

If you carry on into Bathurst Basin you can glance up Guinea Street to a cracking little pub named and depicting a Golden Guinea. This coinage was even more desirable to a pirate than “pieces of eight”.

Come out of the Basin and resume your way along the floating harbour and you will come to the final sculpture, just before Princess Street Bridge, on Merchants Wharf, depicting one of the survivors of the quest, dragging a Treasure Chest behind him in the direction of the new museum of Bristol – worn out after all his adventures.

There you have it – from Bristol Bridge to Princess Street Bridge, a portrayal of our turbulent past using one of the greatest fictional novels ever written. It is an opportunity for Bristol to put itself on the literary map of the world, a unique and innovative way to show off our culture in a totally inclusive fashion. You could start the trail where you wanted and the story would still unfold. It would be one of the best free attractions ever.

Now is your chance to comment on the proposals. Do you think them good or bad and how can the trust improve on its ideas? Please let the trust know by calling 01454 238217 or by e-mail

The Long John Silver Trust now has its own web site at www.longjohnsilvertrust.co.uk

Mark Steeds