Retort House At St 5797 7251 East Of Gasferry Road

The Retort House, located east of Gasferry Road in Bristol, dates back to around 1823 and was built for the Bristol and Clifton Oil Gas Company. This rectangular, open-plan structure is made of squared coursed Pennant rubble with rock-faced dressings. It stands two storeys tall and features a ten-window range. The building is currently roofless, with paired gables on the southern block and a transverse single gable block at the northern end. Architectural details include a plinth, a first-floor sill band, moulded kneelers, and coping. The openings consist of semicircular arches, large doorways in the middle of each side, smaller doorways in the three-window gables, and large round windows in the gables. Some of the windows are made of cast iron and include glazing bars. The interior was derelict at the time of the survey. The Bristol and Clifton Oil Gas Company was established on this site in 1823, with an extension built to the west in 1840. The retort houses and engine house create a notable group alongside the walls facing Gasferry Road.