Bransholme
Encyclopedia
Bransholme is an area and a housing estate on the north-eastern side of Kingston upon Hull
, England
. The name Bransholme comes from an old Scandinavian word meaning Brand's water meadow (brand or brandt meant 'wild boar').
The largely council owned estate is located in between Sutton-on-Hull
to the east, Sutton Park to the south, and the new East Hull suburb of Kingswood to the west. It is surrounded by fields and 'A' Roads which largely isolate it from the rest of East Hull.
There are two high, or secondary school
s, Winifred Holtby and Kingswood College of Arts, within the environs of Bransholme. These are fed by a number of primary schools, amongst which are some of the highest achieving of all those within Kingston upon Hull
.
There are two major retail centres available within the area. These are North Point Shopping Centre, formerly and still locally known as Bransholme Centre, a location where a number of smaller shops can be found as well as a covered market
, and Kingswood Retail Park, which is the site of a number of large major stores as well as an entertainment area including a multiscreen cinema, bowling alley and restaurants.
of 1086 where Bransholme is marked as a little hill surrounded by water. At this time the settlement known as Sudtone (now Sutton) occupied a strip of high ground forming a connecting link between Wagene (later Waghen then Wawne
). An ancient highway ran through Wagene across Sudtone and through to Bilton
.
Some time in the last half of the second century a Romano-British farming settlement stood on the site of the former Gibraltar Farm near where the new bridge crosses the River Hull
. Also a medieval stone dwelling house and two timber buildings existed where Foredyke drain met the River Hull
.
A Roman camp was established to the north of Waghen. When the Angles and Saxons invaded they farmed land on the high ridge that ran from the village to Sutton. The ridge was surrounded by waters and marshland which at high tide separated Waghen from Sudtone. Later the monks and the Lords of the Manor drained the land with a series of drains and dikes.
In June 1939, more than 80 acres (32.4 ha) of land were requisitioned to build a Barrage Balloon defence station. Originally designated as RAF 17 Balloon Centre it was opened on 28 June 1939 and was from where, during World War II
, the Balloon Barrage in the defence of Kingston upon Hull with its vital docks and rail network, was controlled and maintained. By September 1942 over 2,000 Royal Air Force and Women’s Auxiliary Air Force served there. On 15 October 1942, the station was renamed RAF Station Sutton-on-Hull. It became the home of the RAF School of Fire Fighting and Rescue from 1943-59. The RAF Station was finally disposed of on Monday 14 August 1961.
After the Second World War, when large areas of Hull lay devastated due to enemy bombing, it was clearly necessary to rehouse on a massive scale. Urban renewal
prompted the City Council to enforce the Acquisition of Land Act of 1946. The City Council already owned large areas in Bransholme. By January 1948, it had obtained four more farms. The intention of the Council at the time was to provide a new town at Bransholme rather than a large estate, but government approval was not forthcoming.
The Bransholme Estate was originally planned to have a population of 26,000 but now has a population of over 30,000. It was built mainly in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bransholme Housing Estate was originally known as 'north of Sutton Road' or 'The Wawne Estate' until the current name was chosen in 1966 from a list including Soffham, Meaux, Marvelton and Midmere Dales. The first houses were officially opened on 1 May 1967 by Lord Mayor Alderman RW Buckle. The very first Bransholme tenants were housed in Dulverton Close.
In 1968, Noddle Hill Farm was demolished to make way for the building of Bransholme Estate. The houses in Midmere Avenue and Dorchester Road were built between 1971 and 1976. Kestrel Avenue was built in about 1981.
The early years were not easy. Some newcomers loved living in Bransholme, but as early as 1971, condensation
was causing severe problems in over 1000 houses, and Securicor
had to be employed to combat vandalism. Two years later, it was trouble with the maisonettes, and the growing realisation that there too few schools.
Now, schools and churches offer much in terms of education and social and spiritual welfare. Winifred Holtby
high school (formerly Bransholme High), named after the novelist and journalist, has won technology status. The very latest in technology, libraries, medical and community services are in existence, and numerous adult learning and leisure centres are available.
Most housing in Bransholme is prefabricated terrace housing, and there are also two blocks of high rise flats on the estate (Padstow House and Gatwick House (Pictured)), as well as newer housing on the outskirts. Unusually during the construction of the estate, most of the houses predating the estate were left (mostly along Wawne Road) and the occasional older house will stand on a road amongst many of the estates other 'indentikit' houses.
A growing number of the houses are now boarded up, in particular the bungalows which were intended for occupation by the estate's older residents. The quality of the houses on the estate has been in question ever since their construction. Many of the houses have only small windows on the front, being small horizontal slits and, although these have proved efficient in maintaining security, many residents have complained their houses lack light and are unpleasant to live in. The houses have had condensation problems and the heating systems have often been described as being inadequate.
In recent years, Skilgate Close and Selworthy Close have been demolished, leaving large amounts of open space in the centre of Bransholme especially when you include the adjacent former site of the 'Alcatraz' maisonettes. Extensive refurbishment works relating to heating systems, kitchens, bathrooms, electrical rewires and thermal comfort (cavity and loft insulation) commenced in 2006 by Hull City Council
to bring the housing stock up to the Decent Homes Standard
. The programme of works is expected to be completed by March 2011.
, the Riverside Group. This involved 1,175 properties.
There are a number of parks, playgrounds and sports facilities. Heartland's park (near the middle of the area) was opened in August 2000 on the site of former maisonettes, as a grassed area with trees and an adventure playground. Ings Road Playing Fields have sporting facilities plus grassed area and woodland. Noddle Hill Way has a fishing lake and wildlife wetland, as well as football pitches and community woodland. Bude Park playing fields has a children's playground, which was refurbished in 2010 after major vandalism.
The North Point Centre is the main shopping centre in the Bransholme area. It is still often referred to by its former name, the Bransholme Centre. The main supermarket was Kwik Save
and later Fresh Express
. This has since closed, leaving Iceland and Heron Foods
the only food retailers in the centre. There is a Netto
adjacent to the shopping centre. The centre has a small market hall. Most shops in the centre aim at the budget end of the market. On the outer face of the centre there are further shops, including a Post Office
. An additional retail development has been built adjacent to the centre, including a Netto
, a Wilkinson
and an amusement arcade
. On most days, there is a mobile fish and chip wagon in the Eastern car park.
There are seven primary schools in Bransholme, and two secondary schools, Winifred Holtby
School Technology College (formerly Bransholme High School) and Kingswood College of Arts
(formerly Perronet Thompson School). There are no further education establishments on the estate, the nearest being Wilberforce College
.
in Dagenham
.
The confusion has been partly caused by the name of Bransholme being attached to a greater area than it actually should by non-residents, taking in neighbouring estates, most notably Longhill, Sutton Park and Orchard Park
, and partly due to the reality that although homes on Bransholme are still largely owned by the local council, Hull City Council
, there has been a substantial selling off of these to private buyers so large areas are now solely privately owned.
There is often debate over whether the largest council estate outside of London is Leigh Park
(in Hampshire
), Wythenshawe
(in Manchester
) or Bransholme. Bransholme is the largest council estate in Yorkshire, with Seacroft
in East Leeds
coming close.
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The name Bransholme comes from an old Scandinavian word meaning Brand's water meadow (brand or brandt meant 'wild boar').
The largely council owned estate is located in between Sutton-on-Hull
Sutton-on-Hull
Sutton-on-Hull is a suburb of the city of Kingston upon Hull, in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was served by Sutton-on-Hull railway station on the Hull and Holderness Railway until 1964.-External links:*...
to the east, Sutton Park to the south, and the new East Hull suburb of Kingswood to the west. It is surrounded by fields and 'A' Roads which largely isolate it from the rest of East Hull.
There are two high, or secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s, Winifred Holtby and Kingswood College of Arts, within the environs of Bransholme. These are fed by a number of primary schools, amongst which are some of the highest achieving of all those within Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
.
There are two major retail centres available within the area. These are North Point Shopping Centre, formerly and still locally known as Bransholme Centre, a location where a number of smaller shops can be found as well as a covered market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
, and Kingswood Retail Park, which is the site of a number of large major stores as well as an entertainment area including a multiscreen cinema, bowling alley and restaurants.
History
Bransholme history goes at least as far back as the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 where Bransholme is marked as a little hill surrounded by water. At this time the settlement known as Sudtone (now Sutton) occupied a strip of high ground forming a connecting link between Wagene (later Waghen then Wawne
Wawne
Wawne , also spelled Waghen, is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England; it is first mentioned in 1086...
). An ancient highway ran through Wagene across Sudtone and through to Bilton
Bilton, East Riding of Yorkshire
Bilton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre on the B1238 and adjoining the village of Wyton...
.
Some time in the last half of the second century a Romano-British farming settlement stood on the site of the former Gibraltar Farm near where the new bridge crosses the River Hull
River Hull
The River Hull is a navigable river in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the north of England. It rises from a series of springs to the west of Driffield, and enters the Humber estuary at Kingston upon Hull. Following a period when the Archbishops of York charged tolls for its use, it became a free...
. Also a medieval stone dwelling house and two timber buildings existed where Foredyke drain met the River Hull
River Hull
The River Hull is a navigable river in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the north of England. It rises from a series of springs to the west of Driffield, and enters the Humber estuary at Kingston upon Hull. Following a period when the Archbishops of York charged tolls for its use, it became a free...
.
A Roman camp was established to the north of Waghen. When the Angles and Saxons invaded they farmed land on the high ridge that ran from the village to Sutton. The ridge was surrounded by waters and marshland which at high tide separated Waghen from Sudtone. Later the monks and the Lords of the Manor drained the land with a series of drains and dikes.
In June 1939, more than 80 acres (32.4 ha) of land were requisitioned to build a Barrage Balloon defence station. Originally designated as RAF 17 Balloon Centre it was opened on 28 June 1939 and was from where, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Balloon Barrage in the defence of Kingston upon Hull with its vital docks and rail network, was controlled and maintained. By September 1942 over 2,000 Royal Air Force and Women’s Auxiliary Air Force served there. On 15 October 1942, the station was renamed RAF Station Sutton-on-Hull. It became the home of the RAF School of Fire Fighting and Rescue from 1943-59. The RAF Station was finally disposed of on Monday 14 August 1961.
After the Second World War, when large areas of Hull lay devastated due to enemy bombing, it was clearly necessary to rehouse on a massive scale. Urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
prompted the City Council to enforce the Acquisition of Land Act of 1946. The City Council already owned large areas in Bransholme. By January 1948, it had obtained four more farms. The intention of the Council at the time was to provide a new town at Bransholme rather than a large estate, but government approval was not forthcoming.
The Bransholme Estate was originally planned to have a population of 26,000 but now has a population of over 30,000. It was built mainly in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bransholme Housing Estate was originally known as 'north of Sutton Road' or 'The Wawne Estate' until the current name was chosen in 1966 from a list including Soffham, Meaux, Marvelton and Midmere Dales. The first houses were officially opened on 1 May 1967 by Lord Mayor Alderman RW Buckle. The very first Bransholme tenants were housed in Dulverton Close.
In 1968, Noddle Hill Farm was demolished to make way for the building of Bransholme Estate. The houses in Midmere Avenue and Dorchester Road were built between 1971 and 1976. Kestrel Avenue was built in about 1981.
The early years were not easy. Some newcomers loved living in Bransholme, but as early as 1971, condensation
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition....
was causing severe problems in over 1000 houses, and Securicor
Securicor
Securicor plc was one of the United Kingdom's largest security businesses. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with Group 4 Falck in 2004.-History:...
had to be employed to combat vandalism. Two years later, it was trouble with the maisonettes, and the growing realisation that there too few schools.
Now, schools and churches offer much in terms of education and social and spiritual welfare. Winifred Holtby
Winifred Holtby
Winifred Holtby was an English novelist and journalist, best known for her novel South Riding.-Life and writings:...
high school (formerly Bransholme High), named after the novelist and journalist, has won technology status. The very latest in technology, libraries, medical and community services are in existence, and numerous adult learning and leisure centres are available.
Housing
A growing number of the houses are now boarded up, in particular the bungalows which were intended for occupation by the estate's older residents. The quality of the houses on the estate has been in question ever since their construction. Many of the houses have only small windows on the front, being small horizontal slits and, although these have proved efficient in maintaining security, many residents have complained their houses lack light and are unpleasant to live in. The houses have had condensation problems and the heating systems have often been described as being inadequate.
In recent years, Skilgate Close and Selworthy Close have been demolished, leaving large amounts of open space in the centre of Bransholme especially when you include the adjacent former site of the 'Alcatraz' maisonettes. Extensive refurbishment works relating to heating systems, kitchens, bathrooms, electrical rewires and thermal comfort (cavity and loft insulation) commenced in 2006 by Hull City Council
Hull City Council
Hull City Council is the governing body for the unitary authority and city of Kingston upon Hull. It was created in 1972 as the successor to the Corporation of Hull, which was also known as Hull Corporation....
to bring the housing stock up to the Decent Homes Standard
Decent Homes Standard
The Decent Homes Standard is a technical standard for public housing introduced by the United Kingdom government. It underpinned the Decent Homes Programme brought in by the Blair-Brown government which aimed to provide a minimum standard of housing conditions for all those who are housed in the...
. The programme of works is expected to be completed by March 2011.
North Bransholme
In 2010 ownership and management of council housing in North Bransholme was transferred to a housing associationHousing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
, the Riverside Group. This involved 1,175 properties.
Amenities
Adjacent to the North Point shopping centre are a library, a health centre, and a police station.There are a number of parks, playgrounds and sports facilities. Heartland's park (near the middle of the area) was opened in August 2000 on the site of former maisonettes, as a grassed area with trees and an adventure playground. Ings Road Playing Fields have sporting facilities plus grassed area and woodland. Noddle Hill Way has a fishing lake and wildlife wetland, as well as football pitches and community woodland. Bude Park playing fields has a children's playground, which was refurbished in 2010 after major vandalism.
North Point Centre
Kwik Save
Kwik Save was a discount supermarket chain in the United Kingdom until 2007. Its stores were small to medium sized high street supermarkets, mainly located in areas with below average incomes...
and later Fresh Express
Fresh Express
Fresh Express may refer to:* FreshXpress, a UK supermarket chain* Fresh Express, a fresh salad subsidiary of Chiquita Brands International* Fresh Express, an Australian school catering supplier...
. This has since closed, leaving Iceland and Heron Foods
Heron Foods
Heron Foods Ltd is an English family-owned retail chain based in Hull with over 175 stores mainly in the North of England....
the only food retailers in the centre. There is a Netto
Netto (store)
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket operating in several European countries. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group, which in turn is partly owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group.Netto also operates an express version of the store, known as Døgn Netto...
adjacent to the shopping centre. The centre has a small market hall. Most shops in the centre aim at the budget end of the market. On the outer face of the centre there are further shops, including a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. An additional retail development has been built adjacent to the centre, including a Netto
Netto (store)
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket operating in several European countries. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group, which in turn is partly owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group.Netto also operates an express version of the store, known as Døgn Netto...
, a Wilkinson
Wilkinson (shop)
Wilkinson or Wilko is a British high-street discount chain with over 300 stores, selling primarily homewares and household goods.Founded in 1930 Wilkinson Cash Stores by James Kemsey Wilkinson, the company has remained largely in the hands of the founding family since...
and an amusement arcade
Amusement arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
. On most days, there is a mobile fish and chip wagon in the Eastern car park.
Schools
Winifred Holtby
Winifred Holtby was an English novelist and journalist, best known for her novel South Riding.-Life and writings:...
School Technology College (formerly Bransholme High School) and Kingswood College of Arts
Kingswood College (Hull)
Kingswood College of Arts formely Perronet Thompson School was a state secondary mixed school on the northern fringe of the Bransholme housing estate in Kingston upon Hull, England.-History and design:Perronet Thompson School was built in 1988...
(formerly Perronet Thompson School). There are no further education establishments on the estate, the nearest being Wilberforce College
Wilberforce College
Wilberforce College is a further education Sixth Form College in Hull, England.-External links:*...
.
Trivia
Bransholme is widely, but mistakenly, believed to be largest council estate in Europe, a title more likely to be held by BecontreeBecontree
Becontree is a place in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, east north-east of Charing Cross.-Becontree estate:The area was developed between 1921 and 1932 by the London County Council as a large council estate of 27,000 homes, intended as "homes for heroes" after World War I. With a...
in Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
.
The confusion has been partly caused by the name of Bransholme being attached to a greater area than it actually should by non-residents, taking in neighbouring estates, most notably Longhill, Sutton Park and Orchard Park
Orchard Park Estate
Orchard Park Estate is an area or housing estate situated on the north-western side of Kingston upon Hull, England.There were a number of primary schools in the area, but several of them were closed and merged with other schools...
, and partly due to the reality that although homes on Bransholme are still largely owned by the local council, Hull City Council
Hull City Council
Hull City Council is the governing body for the unitary authority and city of Kingston upon Hull. It was created in 1972 as the successor to the Corporation of Hull, which was also known as Hull Corporation....
, there has been a substantial selling off of these to private buyers so large areas are now solely privately owned.
There is often debate over whether the largest council estate outside of London is Leigh Park
Leigh Park
Leigh Park is a large suburb of Havant, in Hampshire, England. It has four electoral wards: Battins, Bondfields, Barncroft and Warren Park ....
(in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
), Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe is a district in the south of the city of Manchester, England.Formerly part of the administrative county of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s to resolve the problem of its inner...
(in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) or Bransholme. Bransholme is the largest council estate in Yorkshire, with Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
in East Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
coming close.