Goldney Hall is a self-catered residential hall in the Clifton area of Bristol. The hub of the Hall is the 18th century Goldney House which was purchased by the University in 1956.

Three generations of the Goldney family gradually made their fortune in Bristol in the second half of the 17 century and the first part of the 18.

 Behind the beauty of Bristol lies a dark secret, the city merchants developed slave trade on an industrial scale. Bristol merchants worked out how to do it as a triangle: brass to Africa, slaves to the Caribbean and the American South, sugar back to Bristol to be processed.  Only a tiny number of slaves ever actually set foot in Bristol.

While the other sides of the triangular trade have been taking steps to make amends with the past, Bristol has failed to. Within the National Archives are records that reveal that both Thomas Goldney II and his son were part of the triangular slave trade.

The Goldneys invested heavily in the Abraham Darby's ironworks which were key to the slave trade. They also produced everyday brass objects which were used to trade for slaves in Africa to transport to the Americas. From 1751, Thomas III bought shares in three ships, which bought iron goods down from Coalbrookdale to Bristol, and onwards as part of the triangular 'trade'.

The Goldney family expanded and developed Goldney Hall, now halls of residence and a wedding and event venue owned by the University of Bristol. It lies on Goldney Avenue – which has some of Clifton's most expensive properties.

We feel it is time to move beyond this legacy of suffering and create a new name to reflect the aspirations of the students enrolled within the university and the ideals of Bristol City in 2019.