Information about BS3

(Click on the titles on the right to watch the stories)

Ashton Vale
This area is on the edge of south Bristol, and is famous for its pre-fabricated houses, many of which were built after World War two, sometimes by German prisoners. They were built of pre-constructed concrete panels on wooden bases, with asbestos roofs, and were designed to be built quickly to deal with housing shortages. Ashton Vale is based on reclaimed landfill areas and what was once agricultural land.

Bedminster

Bedminster was a small town which became part of Bristol as it expanded. Wills tobacco factory and other factories employed a large proportion many people in the 19th and 20th centuries but Will’s factory closed in the 1970s taking away much of the employment and causing the area to become rather run-down. Some redevelopment work has been carried out and the Tobacco Factory is now a theatre and café. Bristol’s Cameron Balloons is still there and Bedminster is a mix of industry, commerce (North street is a busy shopping centre) and private houses.

More about Bedminster from Ray’s Miscellany.

Bower Ashton

Bower Ashton is a small district two miles to the west of the centre of Bristol. It is mainly a residential area, but also contains Bristol City Football Club’s ground, part of the University of the West of England, much of Bristol’s historic docks, the Ashton Court Estate (where Bristol’s famous outdoor festivals take place), a golf course, and a large number of allotments.

Southville

Southville is an inner city suburb of Bristol on the south bank of the Avon. Most of the houses were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

House prices in the area have risen since the 1990s and some of its newer residents are calling the area “Lower Clifton”, a reference to the well-to-do area up the hill.

Totterdown

Totterdown is just south of the River Avon and south-east of Temple Meads railway station. It is an area of mostly terraced houses on a steep hill, many of which are painted in bright colours that can be seen by train passengers passing through Bristol.

Totterdown was once mainly a working class area and built for the nearby railway industry. In the mid to late 19th century, Totterdown has become a popular area for the younger generation taking up work in the city centre, and there are also many artists living there.

Windmill Hill

Windmill Hill is one of the less expensive housing areas in Bristol, near to Bedminster, and has become popular with students, artists and environmentalists. The area is a mixture of old houses and industrial estates, but also has one of Bristol’s City Farms located in its midst.