The bear pit was formally known as St. James Barton Roundabout and has undergone a significant amount of change. The first community event created on this sunken intersection was The St James Fair dating back to the 12th century and was one thing that made Bristol famous. traders would travel across Europe to attend the fair, but It eventually closed in the 1830s due to traders being too rowdy and uncontrollable. Many would say that nothing has changed. 

At the beginning of the 2000s, the bear pit was vacant and was seen as being unsafe. In 2011 Bristol council declared the space a “community action zone”, which was a big development with the vision of creating a space for community events to take place. The BearPit Improvement Group (BIG) was founded, a group of locals committed to changing the area, rethinking how this could be seen as a cultural space instead of just an underpass. People’s Republic of Stokes Croft played a significant role in the development, helping contribute to the art and design of the space. The vision: Lively, politically and a space that everyone can be part of.

From here began the upgrades,
The iconic bear statue 
A gallery that showcased local art on the underpass 
The community Cube, the only non-commercial billboard in the city 
The open Air Theatre, open in the summer for people to perform 
People loved this, it was a form of activism, a place for people to gather and connect and a place that finally felt cared for. 

Many people however did not agree with this. Members of the council and the mayor’s office had concerns, claiming that the bearpit remained dangerous. The art was often political, protest posters on the walls. these were THE reasons contributing tO the issues. Whilst this was happening, the council stopped helping, community organisers such as BIG and PRSC were left to maintain the space despite not being given the money from the council. Bristol waste refused to take rubbish and therefore BIG and PRSC were held liable for problems they couldn't control. 

In 2018, the community cube that made the bold statement about high pollution levels in the city, was taken down and destroyed by the council without prior notice. Many saw this as a political setback. the public were being silenced. 

Things became even more drastic in October 2018, WHEN the Council demanded THAT all the PRSC and BIG artworks be removed. This included the bear sculpture as well as the theatre and the storage units. Stokes Croft took matters into their own hands and 4,00 people signed a petition to “Save Our Bear,” which prompted a discussion with the council. The iconic bear had become a bristol staple, it represented bristols creativity and love for the community. 

The bear pit and its political craziness is still confusing and ongoing today. BIG and PRSC were forced to remove their installations and the bear bit has gone back to being a vacant place, however, the story of the bear pit does highlight how strongly people fight for community, creativity and freedom even when the council say different. This is why bristol is a place like no other.