Belfast is changing

The Cathedral Quarter has become an important part of Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA priorities to create vibrant cities towns and villages.

For the uninitiated, the Cathedral Quarter is part of the area boundaried by Victoria Street, Royal Avenue Lower North Street, Bridge Street, High Street. This isn’t precise but you’ve got the idea.

Not so long ago you could have been forgiven for thinking you were in the middle of a Sherlock Holmes movie when walking around places like Hill Street, Exchange Place and Commercial Court. You can almost set the scene for yourself, dark dimly lit streets, nearby are the docks and the odd sound of a boat trumpeting its arrival from a far off land. No doubt the atmosphere was a little eerie in the small narrow streets around what was once Pot House Lane.

Todd Architects set up camp in Hill Street and then in the late 1980s the now very popular Nick’s Warehouse Restaurant opened its doors. This began to breathe life back into the area. The (flagship) Merchant Hotel, the aptly named, Pott House, the Duke of York, John Hewitt, Cloth Ear, Spaniard, (the late Crows Nest), Black Box, a night club, several restaurants, Northern Whig, all put the colour back into the streets of Belfast’s City Centre..

The rich and the famous began to descend to the area, our very own James Ellis can often be seen dining in Nicks, whilst international superstars such as Bill Murray have been spotted in the local Tapas restaurant. It is fact that Shawshank Remdemption’s Tim Robbins actually performed an impromptu gig at the aforementioned Tapas bar and has promised to return when ‘City of Embers’ holds its premiere in Belfast.

Most of the places mentioned are within a few yards of each other. The people of Belfast and its visitors have never had it so good with a wealth of opportunities for business and socialising.

In the recently published ‘Cathedral Quarter  A visitor guide to its historic buildings’ (PDF 3.73MB) by the Belfast City Council, you get an insight into the number of historic references and buildings there are in this one corner of the City alone. This publication is a must for anyone interested in their local history. It may take a little time to download but it is worth the wait.

Some of the history of Belfast has been shaped by the Cathedral Quarter. The River Farset once flowed openly along High Street, hence the name of our City Beal Feirste ‘mouth of Farset’. It is hard to believe that ships / boats used to park in High Street and bridges once crossed High street from Church Lane to Skipper Street and Bridge Street.

The Belfast City Centre Regeneration team (BCCRD) have responsibility for identifying locations for improvement including the Cathedral Quarter. The Directorate works with business, the local community and other government bodies to promote Belfast City Centre as a premier regional shopping destination. Evidence this is working has been reported in recent press cuttings that have indicated that more and more people from south of the border are coming north to shop.  

The Directorate is also working to protect and use the neutral space in the City Centre to help create inclusive communities and a skilled and adaptable workforce able to contribute to and share the benefits of economic growth. With their partners, BCCRD is creating a sustainable and vibrant City Centre, through complementary and contemporary design, which supports a quality lifestyle.

Emphasising her commitment to her priority of creating vibrant cities, Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA recently announced a further years funding of £250,000 for the 2009/10 Laganside Events Grant scheme which will help with the promotion of the Cathedral Quarter.

Thank you to Heather at Belfast City Council for her support and obtaining permission for use of the homepage image.

Thanks also to Keith Connolly of Tonic Design whose original images and design of the publication inspired the graphic for the link to this article.