Cheese Lane Shot Tower
Historic drop tower used for the production of lead shot (the "hail" used in shotgun shells) by dropping molten lead through a zinc sieve into a tank of cold water 35 m lower. The original tower was built in 1782, the first of its kind if the world, but was demolished in 1968 as part of a road widening project. Thus, the current tower was constructed in the architectural style of 1969, around 400 m from where the original tower stood. It continued producing lead shot until the late 1980s when lead was phased out for environmental concerns. The tower was scheduled to be demolished because it isn't particularly flattering to the city landscape 50 years after its construction, but as one of the only 3 remaining historic shot towers in England, it was conserved as a Grade II listed building. A new development was built around it in 2005, incorporating it into the redeveloped neighbourhood. The tower's interior isn't accessible to the public.
- Address
- Passage Street
- Hours
- Open now · open 24 hours
Weekly hours
Sun Open 24 hours Mon Open 24 hours Tue Open 24 hours Wed Open 24 hours Thu Open 24 hours Fri Open 24 hours Sat Open 24 hours - Price
- Free
Listing from Wikivoyage: Bristol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.