Easton, Bristol

Last updated

Easton
Bristol UK ward map 2016 easton.png
Boundaries of the city council ward since 2016
Population13,541 (2011) [1]
OS grid reference ST605735
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BRISTOL
Postcode district BS5
Dialling code 0117
Police Avon and Somerset
Fire Avon
Ambulance South Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Bristol

Easton is an inner city area of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Informally the area is considered to stretch east of Bristol city centre and the M32 motorway, centred on Lawrence Hill. Its southern and eastern borders are less defined, merging into St Philip's Marsh and Eastville. The area includes the Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill estates.

Contents

In administrative terms, Easton comprises the electoral wards of Easton and part of Lawrence Hill. It is located within the Bristol West constituency. The electoral ward of Easton includes parts of the localities of Netham and Whitehall, and a large part of Greenbank. The Bristol & Bath Railway Path passes through the ward.

Easton is noted for its culturally diverse community, [2] centred on the shopping streets of Stapleton Road and St Marks Road, the latter noted for the exuberant sculpted signs that hang above many of the shop doors and the architecturally striking illuminated dome of Easton Mosque. There are a number of Moroccan and Indian subcontinent restaurants and shops specialising in organic and ethnic foods.

History

In the medieval period Easton lay within the Royal Forest of Kingswood in the manor of Barton Regis. The name Easton is probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon East Tun meaning East Farm. The earliest documentary reference to Easton is Chester and Master's 1610 Map of Kingswood, [3] which depicts three settlements: Upper Easton, which was centered on Easton Road, Lower Easton, which was centered on St Marks Road, and Baptist Mills, on the east bank of the River Frome.

In the post-medieval period the area became increasingly industrial with large scale extraction of coal, clay and sand occurring across the area. In the 19th century most of Easton was developed for housing.

In the late 1960s and 70s large areas of Easton were demolished to make way for new roads (A4320 Easton Way and the M32 Motorway) and housing estates.

During the late 20th century, Easton developed a reputation for crime and drugs problems, [4] and by 2005 it was described by The Sunday People newspaper as "Britain's most dangerous street". [5] In 2002, the Home Secretary David Blunkett visited Stapleton Road when announcing it as one of five areas with high crime rates to receive additional government support for policing. [6] During this time, Easton was one of the most deprived areas in the south west of England, with the Lawrence Hill ward the most deprived ward in the region and one of the most deprived in Britain. This resulted in the area being granted European Union objective 2 status and 'New Deal for Communities' status by the UK government which is only granted to the most underprivileged urban wards. [7]

In the 2010s, Easton's reputation began to shift to that of a neighbourhood experiencing gentrification, with the Bristol Post describing it as having been "in the grip of gentrification" since 2015. [8] In 2019, Time Out magazine named Easton one of its "top 50 coolest neighbourhoods" in the world. [9] In 2020, one analysis of house prices named Easton as the British neighbourhood where prices had risen by the highest percentage over the last decade. [10]

Demographics

The Census 2011 reported that Easton has a higher proportion of under 10s and people in the 25–44 age group than the England and Wales average, but fewer 10 to 15 year olds and people aged over 45. [11]

Banksy

Banksy lived in Easton in the 1990s. [12] There are several of his artworks in the area, although the council inadvertently painted over one and another has had a tin of paint thrown over it. This was possibly done in response to the house that the art was attached to being sold as a piece of Banksy graffiti with a house thrown in for free. [13]

Sport

The area is home to Easton Leisure Centre.

Transport

Easton has two railway stations, Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road, which are served by trains on the Severn Beach Line plus services to and from Gloucester and South Wales. The main line to South Wales, the Midlands, Scotland and London also passes through Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road; after which the Severn Beach line branches off just north of. The M32 motorway marks the border of Easton to the north. The A4032 dual carriageway cuts the area in two.

Greenbank Cemetery Greenbank Cemetery - geograph.org.uk - 4756.jpg
Greenbank Cemetery

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Gloucestershire</span> Local government district in Gloucestershire, England

South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Kingswood, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke. The southern part of its area falls within the Greater Bristol urban area surrounding the city of Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingswood, South Gloucestershire</span> Town in Gloucestershire, England

Kingswood is a town and civil parish in the South Gloucestershire district of the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. The town is situated 3 miles (4.8 km) east-northeast of Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M32 motorway</span> Motorway in England

The M32 is a 4.4-mile-long (7.1 km) motorway in South Gloucestershire and Bristol, England. It provides a link from the M4, a major motorway linking London and South Wales, to Bristol city centre and is maintained by National Highways, the national roads body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avonmouth</span> Port and suburb of Bristol, England

Avonmouth is a port and outer suburb of Bristol, England, on the north bank of the mouth of the River Avon and the eastern shore of the Severn Estuary. Part of the Port of Bristol, Avonmouth Docks is important to the region's maritime economy, hosting large vessels for the unloading and exporting of heavier goods. Much of the land use is industrial, including warehousing, light industry, electrical power and sanitation. The M5 motorway bisects the neighbourhood, with junctions onto the A4 road and M49 motorway, and it has stations on the Severn Beach Line railway.

St Werburghs is an inner suburban neighbourhood in Bristol, England. It is in the Ashley electoral ward and Bristol Central parliamentary constituency, 1+12 miles (2.4 km) northeast of The Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stapleton, Bristol</span> Human settlement in England

Stapleton is an area in the northeastern suburbs of the city of Bristol, England. The name is colloquially used today to describe the ribbon village along Bell Hill and Park Road in the Frome Valley. It borders Eastville to the South and Begbrook and Frenchay to the North. It comprises an eclectic mix of housing mainly from the Victorian, Edwardian, inter-war and late 20th century periods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley (Bristol ward)</span>

Ashley is an electoral ward in the city of Bristol, England. It is represented by three members on Bristol City Council, which as of 2024 are Abdul Malik, Izzy Russell and Tim Wye, all members of the Green Party of England and Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stapleton Road railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Stapleton Road railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and Cross Country Route, serving the inner-city district of Easton in Bristol, England. It is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is SRD. The station has two platforms, four running lines and minimal facilities. It is managed by Great Western Railway, the seventh company to be responsible for the station, and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, the standard service being two trains per hour along the Severn Beach Line and an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastville, Bristol</span> Human settlement in England

Eastville is an inner suburban neighbourhood and an electoral ward in Bristol, England, located around 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of The Centre. It is roughly centred on Muller Road between its junctions with Stapleton Road and Fishponds Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montpelier, Bristol</span> Inner suburb of Bristol

Montpelier is an inner suburban neighbourhood and conservation area in Bristol, England. It is located 1 mile (1.6 km) north of The Centre in the Ashley electoral ward and Bristol Central parliamentary constituency. The area is served by Montpelier railway station on the Severn Beach Line railway.

The city of Bristol, England, is divided into many areas, which often overlap or have non-fixed borders. These include Parliamentary constituencies, council wards and unofficial neighbourhoods. There are no civil parishes in Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redfield, Bristol</span> Human settlement in England

Redfield is an area situated in East Bristol though it is represented in Westminster as part of the Bristol West constituency. It includes the stretch of Church Road (A420) from Verrier Road to the western boundary of St George's Park, Victorian-era landscaped parkland. It is adjacent to the neighbourhoods of Barton Hill and Russell Town to the South, St George to the East, Whitehall to the North and Lawrence Hill to the West and Pile Marsh to the South-East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Hill railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Lawrence Hill railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and Cross Country Route, serving the inner-city districts of Easton and Lawrence Hill in Bristol, England. It is 1.0 mile (1.6 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is LWH. The station has two platforms, four running lines and minimal facilities. It is managed by Great Western Railway, the seventh company to be responsible for the station and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, the standard service being two trains per hour along the Severn Beach Line and an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol North East (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950–1983 and 2024 onwards

Bristol North East is a borough constituency in the city of Bristol represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since July 2024 by Damien Egan of the Labour Party. Egan had originally been elected at a byelection in February 2024 for the abolished constituency of Kingswood.

Baptist Mills an area of the city of Bristol, England. The name derives from the former mills which stood in that area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Hill, Bristol</span> Human settlement in England

Lawrence Hill is an electoral ward of Bristol, United Kingdom and includes the districts of Barton Hill, St Philips Marsh and Redcliffe, Temple Meads and parts of Easton and the Broadmead shopping area. Lawrence Hill takes its name from a leper hospital dedicated to St Lawrence, which was founded by King John.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stokes Croft</span> Road and area in Bristol, England

Stokes Croft is a road in Bristol, England. It is part of the A38, a main road north of the city centre. Locals refer to the area around the road by the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Jude's, Bristol</span> Human settlement in England

St Jude's is a mixed residential, commercial and light industrial area of central Bristol, England. St Jude's forms part of the Lawrence Hill ward of Bristol City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stapleton Road</span> Major thoroughfare in Bristol, England

Stapleton Road is a major thoroughfare in the English city of Bristol, running through the districts of Lawrence Hill and Easton. It is known for being very culturally diverse with many esoteric shops. However since the mid 20th century it has gained a reputation for having a high crime rate.

References

  1. "Easton" (PDF). 2001 Census Ward Information Sheet. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  2. Brock, Alexander (18 September 2019). "Bristol neighbourhood voted one of the coolest in the world". Bristol Live. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  3. , Chester and Master's 1610 Map of Kingswood.
  4. Morris, Steven (19 April 2019). "Angry message from Javid's childhood street: 'Wake up, we've moved on'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  5. Yumpu.com. "'Britain's Most Dangerous Street': 'They call it going down Stapes'". yumpu.com. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  6. Travis, Alan (12 March 2002). "Blunkett reveals five police priority areas". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  7. "Evaluation of the Bristol Objective 2 Neighbourhood Action Plan (2000 –2008)" (PDF). Vivid. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  8. Cork, Tristan (6 September 2020). "Where the post-Covid gentrification of Bristol will happen next". Bristol Live. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  9. https://www.timeout.com/bristol/things-to-do/easton-bristol-guide [ bare URL ]
  10. "Where have UK house prices increased most – and least – since 2010?". the Guardian. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  11. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) 2011 Census
  12. "Banksy: Map profiling backs theory that graffiti artist is Robin Gunningham". ABC News (Australia) . 7 March 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  13. http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~rstephen/livingeaston/art/banksy.html cems.uwe.ac.uk

51°27′33″N2°34′12″W / 51.45909°N 2.56993°W / 51.45909; -2.56993