Index - all phrases in bold are songs by Portishead.
Most people, when you mention Portishead, may think of the band first, and for largely good reason. Three albums, countless hit singles, and being at the forefront of a new genre means the band are renowned internationally. Yet the town they're named for is more often than not ignored as merely a town west of Bristol. It has no rail links, not since the station closed sixty years ago. Should you turn off the M5 and visit, you may be pleasantly surprised. I visited with my family purely for the band connection.
Portishead itself means "at the head of the port", which makes sense when you consider it's at the mouth of the River Severn. The first docks in the area opened in 1814, with ships often carrying coal, before the Bristol Corporation took full control by 1860. It's also seen a phosphorus and oil industry, but the town's more notable for its two former coal power stations - Portishead Power Stations A and B, with A opening in 1926 and B in 1949. There had been prior power stations which were much smaller in scope - B was capable of generating nearly 250MW of power. Eventually, though, they were run down, and both were fully demolished in 1982.
And here's the remnant of those power stations - there's nothing left. Instead, the area's become Portishead Marina, full of docked boats, some of which were for sale. There was also one lonely swan swimming, tagged ABAA, mostly sticking to the sides of the marina. All in all, the area was clean and surrounded by a Co-op and Costa with sleek shop fronts, along with housing on all sides. It felt like a slice of London in a way, and I could only imagine what the house prices must be. There were many stickers too which mentioned there was Deep Water, though I can't imagine many people would want to take a plunge in the marina.
Not many were out and about, which wasn't surprising as I visited on a Wednesday afternoon, and one man walking a dog claimed to have never seen a mural we were looking for. We never found said mural which was a colourful depiction of the town's name, and eventually the rain arrived and we turned back. With that, our trip to Portishead was over, and I can confidently state that the town isn't the most eventful. If Beth Gibbons and Geoff Barrow, when they were setting up their band, decided to call themselves Chittening or Pilning, there's a good chance I wouldn't have written this blogpost. Alas, they didn't, and so I ended up in Portishead. However, I quite liked what I saw - it's pleasant and clearly on the up - so it wasn't a wasted trip.
But the blogpost's not over, as I've not written this post in chronological order. The main appeal of Portishead should be the coastal side, as that's where you'll find it's true glory.
Boxed between a few bays, the beach was empty and full of silence, aside for one man, the water muddy as it's estuarial - the River Severn meets the Bristol Channel and fluvial processes meet tidal processes (as GCSE Geography taught me). In the background was the Lido which was comparably far more populated, and the cafe too had a lengthy queue. I got myself a postcard which portrays the sea as far more blue and populated than it was this time. Then again, it was a Wednesday...
It's a short walk from here to Battery Point, which is the closest point on the coast that large ships will pass in the UK. The site has served as a watch tower as well as a battery during the English Civil War (Portishead siding with the King's army). It also served as part of the coastal defences during the World Wars. There's a small lighthouse too, accessed by a walkway only for authorised personnel, which looked more air traffic control to me than anything. Only the peaceful coast accompanies you here, that and the sight of wind turbines in the distance, along with the bridge linking England and Wales. No magic doors here, reassuringly.
And this truly is it, because the trip was more brief excursion than anything else. I'd love to give you a detailed report of the Sainsbury's and the high street and the other, more interesting lighthouse, but I can't because I didn't visit them. I can give you countless blogposts on my Cornish trips, though, and I hope you enjoy them.
Portishead isn't the most entertaining town, then again it's not meant to be. Yet as with all towns, there is some history to find if you look in the right places, and it's pleasant nonetheless.
Previous Bristol blogposts
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