On Sunday about twenty of us enjoyed a short stroll through Kingswood on the outskirts of Bristol. The walk was part of the annual Bristol walk festival. It was led by a very knowledgeable guide. She had been working with a local reminiscence group and was able to share some of their memories with us which added interest to the walk.

I grew up just outside Kingswood and attended Kingswood Grammar school so I could remember many of the old shops and characters.

Brief History of Kingswood

Kingswood as the name implies was originally a forest used by the king and his nobles for hunting. It also had coal and miners worked a number of open cast mines. It was generally regarded as rather a lawless place and various evangelical christian organisations tried to convert the miners. On our walk we were encouraged to count pubs and chapels and it is difficult to say which was the larger number.

The surrounding area became prominent in the brass manufacturing industry and a lot of local people were employed making pins and other industrries that used wire such as corsetry. A large boot and shoe industry grew up to provide boots for miners. Other industries included Douglas motorbikes. It is still a very working class area of small terraced houses.

A few photos from my walk.

For a long time Kingswood did not have a church. John Wesley and his friend George Whitfield held open air services for the miners which attracted large crowds. This chapel was built by George Whitfield in 1741 and is one of the earliest Methodist chapels. It was derelict for many years but is now being sensitively restored and will be used as a community space.

When soldiers were recruited to fight in the Napoleonic wars the officers were shocked that they knew little about the bible. After the battle of Waterloo a large fund was established to build churches for the masses. Holy Trinity in Kingswood was one of the first churches built using this money.

This is the most famous landmark in Kingswood. The clock tower was built for Queen Victoria’s diamond Jubilee. The council had wanted a much higher tower but local people were reluctant to contribute and they had difficulty raising the funds.

Kingswood Street art

Like the rest of Bristol, Kingswood has its fair share of street art. The top photo is a coat of arms which Andy Council designed for Two Mile Hill. The pick and shovel references the areas mining history.

Chasers used to be a well-known local nightclub which closed a couple of years ago. The Star Wars mural is a tribute to Dave Prowse who played Darth Vader in the early films and once worked here as a doorman. They did not use his voice as he has a strong Bristol accent.

I won’t say it is a rough area but even the tigers have piercings.

Weird and wonderful

This unusual signpost is a tribute to Colin Pillinger who was born in Kingswood and used to play in the park as a boy. He helped design the Beagle capsule which was taken to Mars.

I hope you have enjoyed this short stroll through Kingswood and that you will join me for my next adventure.