Looking across the busy road, Mr Monkey saw the Clifton Rocks Railway and the site of the Hotwell Springs. The Railway was in a tunnel carved inside the cliff and ran from 1893 to 1934. A restoration group is repairing it, but they've started at the top. In the 18th century, there was a spa here, using water from a spring in the mud between the high and low tide marks. The row of shops with lodgings on the first floor was built around 1785, when the spa was declining. Mr Monkey couldn't see either of these buildings properly when he was on the other side of the road, and he doesn't think the A4 improved the area at all.
You can read about the disused railway at the Clifton Rocks Railway website and about the history of the area by following the history link at the Clifton Online website.
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 14 May 2006