The Clifton Club
Encyclopedia
The Clifton Club is a traditional Gentlemen's Club
in Bristol
, England, founded in 1818 as a meeting place for the gentlemen of the prosperous port of Bristol.
, an exclusive suburb of Bristol, in 1818 by a host of local gentlemen. It is therefore one of the earliest remaining such clubs in the country: only Brooks's
, White's
, Boodle's
, the Royal Thames Yacht Club
, Marylebone Cricket Club
, and the Liverpool Athenaeum
are older. In a curious coincidence, the meeting held to discuss the club’s founding was held in what was then the Clifton Hotel – which subsequently became the club’s current home. The club originally had premises in Birdcage Walk. After several years the club's use had dwindled and the decision was taken to disband. In 1850 several of the members of the original club resurrected the club at new premises.
, and the higher echelons of the professions. The club has a long and well documented link with the Society of Merchant Venturers
; to this day many members of the society are also members of the Clifton Club. Other Bristol institutions whose memberships overlap with that of the club include the Bristol Savages and the Antient Society of St Stephen’s Ringers.
The club has reciprocal arrangements with a number of clubs around the world of a similarly exclusive nature including The Travellers Club and The Lansdowne Club
in London, The Liverpool Athenaeum
, The Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh, Western Club in Glasgow, Phyllis Court
in Henley on Thames, the Royal Automobile Club of Australia
, Union Club of British Columbia and The Ontario Club in Canada, The Cape Town Club and Durban Club in South Africa, The Capital Club in Cairo, the University Club of San Francisco, and The Cornell Club in New York.
For the first 188 years of its existence membership of the club was restricted to men only. In 2006 the members, in a move which caused a degree of controversy amongst the membership, voted to allow women to become full members of the club.
. Originally built as the Clifton Assembly Rooms
and Hotel, the club purchased the building in the mid-nineteenth century. It was designed by Francis Greenway
, later held in Newgate prison on charges of forgery and transported to Australia where he became famous as the father of Australian architecture, and is the only remaining building of his design in the United Kingdom
. The building has an imposing three-storey stone facade
, and offers members very luxurious facilities including a salon/drawing room which also contains the main bar, dining room, committee room, bridge
room, and snooker room. The club also owns much of the property surrounding the club, including two squash
courts for the exclusive use of members.
In common with other gentlemen's clubs the purpose of the Clifton Club is to provide its members with luxurious and exclusive facilities in which they may meet one another, eat, drink, play games such as bridge, chess, backgammon and snooker, and generally use the place as a 'home away from home'.
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England, founded in 1818 as a meeting place for the gentlemen of the prosperous port of Bristol.
History
The club was founded in CliftonClifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, an exclusive suburb of Bristol, in 1818 by a host of local gentlemen. It is therefore one of the earliest remaining such clubs in the country: only Brooks's
Brooks's
Brooks's is one of London's most exclusive gentlemen's clubs, founded in 1764 by 27 men, including four dukes. From its inception, it was the meeting place for Whigs of the highest social order....
, White's
White's
White's is a London gentlemen's club, established at 4 Chesterfield Street in 1693 by Italian immigrant Francesco Bianco . Originally it was established to sell hot chocolate, a rare and expensive commodity at the time...
, Boodle's
Boodle's
Boodle's is a London gentlemen's club, founded in 1762, at 49-51 Pall Mall, London by Lord Shelburne the future Marquess of Lansdowne and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the club came to be known after the name of its head waiter Edward Boodle....
, the Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club is the oldest sailing club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park....
, Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, and the Liverpool Athenaeum
Liverpool Athenaeum
The Athenaeum originated as a gentlemen's club in Liverpool, England. It has been in continuous use since the end of the 18th century. The club was founded to ensure the up-to-date provision of newspapers and pamphlets, and to create a library for the use of the merchants and professional...
are older. In a curious coincidence, the meeting held to discuss the club’s founding was held in what was then the Clifton Hotel – which subsequently became the club’s current home. The club originally had premises in Birdcage Walk. After several years the club's use had dwindled and the decision was taken to disband. In 1850 several of the members of the original club resurrected the club at new premises.
Membership
The Clifton Club has for over 190 years been one of the most socially exclusive organisations in Bristol. Membership must be gained on the invitation and recommendation of at least two members of good standing who have each known the candidate for at least three years. Historically the club's membership has included the heads of major Bristol business, local landed gentryLanded gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
, and the higher echelons of the professions. The club has a long and well documented link with the Society of Merchant Venturers
Society of Merchant Venturers
The Society of Merchant Venturers is a private entrepreneurial and charitable organisation in the English city of Bristol, which dates back to the 13th century...
; to this day many members of the society are also members of the Clifton Club. Other Bristol institutions whose memberships overlap with that of the club include the Bristol Savages and the Antient Society of St Stephen’s Ringers.
The club has reciprocal arrangements with a number of clubs around the world of a similarly exclusive nature including The Travellers Club and The Lansdowne Club
Lansdowne Club
The Lansdowne Club is a London private club, which was established in 1935. It is located at 9 Fitzmaurice Place, near Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, England....
in London, The Liverpool Athenaeum
Liverpool Athenaeum
The Athenaeum originated as a gentlemen's club in Liverpool, England. It has been in continuous use since the end of the 18th century. The club was founded to ensure the up-to-date provision of newspapers and pamphlets, and to create a library for the use of the merchants and professional...
, The Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh, Western Club in Glasgow, Phyllis Court
Phyllis Court
Phyllis Court is a private members club in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, situated by the River Thames.The Club was founded in 1906 and is located in a Georgian-style building set within its own elegant grounds, close to the town centre...
in Henley on Thames, the Royal Automobile Club of Australia
Royal Automobile Club of Australia
The Royal Automobile Club of Australia is an Australian motoring organisation, which has also incorporated the Australian Imperial Services Club since 1987....
, Union Club of British Columbia and The Ontario Club in Canada, The Cape Town Club and Durban Club in South Africa, The Capital Club in Cairo, the University Club of San Francisco, and The Cornell Club in New York.
For the first 188 years of its existence membership of the club was restricted to men only. In 2006 the members, in a move which caused a degree of controversy amongst the membership, voted to allow women to become full members of the club.
Premises and Facilities
The Clifton Club's premises stand at 21, The Mall, Clifton, BristolClifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
. Originally built as the Clifton Assembly Rooms
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
and Hotel, the club purchased the building in the mid-nineteenth century. It was designed by Francis Greenway
Francis Greenway
-References:* *...
, later held in Newgate prison on charges of forgery and transported to Australia where he became famous as the father of Australian architecture, and is the only remaining building of his design in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The building has an imposing three-storey stone facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, and offers members very luxurious facilities including a salon/drawing room which also contains the main bar, dining room, committee room, bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
room, and snooker room. The club also owns much of the property surrounding the club, including two squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts for the exclusive use of members.
In common with other gentlemen's clubs the purpose of the Clifton Club is to provide its members with luxurious and exclusive facilities in which they may meet one another, eat, drink, play games such as bridge, chess, backgammon and snooker, and generally use the place as a 'home away from home'.
See also
- Gentlemen's ClubGentlemen's clubA gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
- List of London's gentlemen's clubs
- The Travellers Club
- Clifton, BristolClifton, BristolClifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...