Tuesday, June 26 2012, 1:59PM
“Here's the link to the original story for anyone who missed it:
http://tinyurl.com/btksasx”
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 2:50AM
“Thank you Chris for your comments and research on this topic it is much appreciated. The original article came as such amazing news because I had often lamented the loss of this historic part of Bristol and often thought it would be nice if somebody could replicate it on the computer so that we could take a virtual tour of it but the idea of actually reconstructing the Dutch House would be even better especially if it was carried out in the authentic traditional manner.
Hannover was the first city to be twinned with Bristol after the war and in the Town Hall you can see scale models of how it looked in ancient times, in 1938, and after the destruction from Allied bombing also the rebuild. It was quite noticeable last summer, in these times of austerity how much effort is going into restoring Historic buildings, Churches and other structures. The construction of modern building has been ongoing for years but it was the restoration work that particularly caught my eye.”
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 10:19AM
“Robert_H, I did actually embark on doing a 3D recreation of the area from an old map I found online, using a level editor from a well known 3D computer game, as I had done for my home town's castle and my team's old football ground. But it proved to be far too ambitious!
Much better to restore the real thing though!”
Saturday, June 30 2012, 5:03PM
“It is interesting how you have a keen interest in Bristol even though you don't hail from here. Who knows perhaps you have distant ancestors from Bristol that you are not aware of. Perhaps you are a citizen of the World where you take an interest wherever you are. This is different from a Globalist who will betray the Nation for profit.
While in other countries I have felt sad about historic buildings being destroyed in the name of progress or even those that were destroyed during the war, even in Germany and other places. However the deliberate targeting of our historic centres was a mark of the evil ideology of Nazism that had to be dealt with. In France there are really ancient villages or towns where people are encouraged to keep them the same as they have always been. It is so fascinated and it is not just what you see but also what can be felt.”
“I have to say I'm unexpectedly encouraged by the story published on 15/06/2012 regarding the suggested scheme to rebuild the much lamented seventeenth century Dutch House, lost to Luftwaffe bombing in 1940. As a relative newcomer to Bristol, I was intrigued enough to do a bit of research a few years back as to how that derelict spot on the edge of the beautiful old centre of Bristol came to be such a glaring and jarring mess. And on discovering some old pictures of Dutch House I was saddened to see what had been lost, particularly given what dour and uninspiring post-war buildings had been put in its place.
Today it's perhaps not obvious to the casual observer that the High Street / Corn Street / Wine Street / Broad Street junction is actually a crossroads. And not just any old crossroads, but the geographical heart of old Saxon Bristol, leading down to the Bristol Bridge, the whole raison d'ĂȘtre of why Bristol was built where it was. The reinstatement of that crossroads, with Dutch House providing its fourth and most imposing corner, would seem to me to be a vital restoration of the historic heart of the city. And who knows, perhaps even the restoration of the High Cross to its former spot in the middle of it?
There would no doubt be those who say it couldn't be done. But if the likes of Dresden can rebuild its entire historic centre and beautiful Frauenkirche cathedral from nothing more than rubble, and if Warsaw likewise could rebuild its famous castle square from total obliteration, then why not Bristol's Dutch House? And before anybody asks, it would be simple enough to re-route traffic down the old route of Bridge Street and Dolphin Street to rejoin Wine Street in its rightful place behind St Mary Le Port church just like it was before the War, and without any real loss to the size of Castle Park.
I say Bristol should embrace this plan and make it happen.”