Fishponds, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. It is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from the City centre. It has two large Victorian era
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s; Eastville
Eastville, Bristol
Eastville is the name of both a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom and a suburb of the city that lies within that ward. The Eastville ward covers the areas of Eastville, Crofts End , Stapleton and part of Fishponds...
Park and Vassell's Park (formerly the Vassell's Family estate) and also known locally as Oldbury Court. The River Frome
River Frome, Bristol
The River Frome is a river, approximately long, which rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, and flows in a south westerly direction through Bristol, joining the former course of the river Avon in Bristol's Floating Harbour. The mean flow at Frenchay is The name Frome is shared with...
runs through both parks, with the Frome Valley Walkway
Frome Valley Walkway
The Frome Valley Walkway is an 18 mile footpath which follows the River Frome from the River Avon in the centre of Bristol to the Cotswold Hills in South Gloucestershire...
running alongside it. A restored mill can be found at Snuff Mills
Snuff Mills
Snuff Mills is a park in the Stapleton area of north Bristol, also known as Whitwood Mill.There are pleasant walks along the steep wooded banks of the River Frome, for example to Oldbury Court...
near the Vassells Park end of the river. It has retained its original waterwheel which can still be seen and heard turning today. Eastville Park has its own large boating lake with central wildlife reserves. The pedalo
Pedalo
A paddle boat or "pedalo" is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals....
s are no longer available for hire in the summer months.
Fishponds is mainly a residential area through which two main bus routes pass. Housing is typically of the terraced Victorian variety. The high street comprises many local shops such as greengrocers and florists. There is a small student population due to the presence of the St Matthias
St Matthias, Bristol
St Matthias is one of the campuses belonging to the University of the West of England. The campus is located in the suburb of Fishponds in Bristol.-History:...
and Glenside
Glenside, Bristol
Glenside campus is the home of the School of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England , Bristol. It is located on Blackberry Hill in the suburb of Fishponds...
campuses of the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
.
The name of this area of Bristol derives from when it was, like nearby Soundwell
Soundwell
Soundwell is a suburb of Bristol, England in South Gloucestershire. It is situated between Kingswood and Staple Hill.Located centrally in the parish is St. Stephen's Anglican Church and St. Stephen's CofE primary school with approximately 300 pupils. The original St. Stephen's infants school was...
, a quarry district. The empty quarries were then filled and there were many large fishponds in the area which have since been filled in. There was one pond remaining which was, until the mid 1970s when it was officially closed, a popular swimming area, named "The Lido" by locals. It is now owned by a private angling club.
The outskirts of Fishponds to the south comprise Chester Park
Chester Park, Bristol
Chester Park is a residential area in Bristol, England, with an adjacent park commonly known as Barton Fields.It is on the outskirts of the outer urban area of Fishponds, adjacent to Mayfield Park, Speedwell, Kingswood, Hillfields and Lodge Causeway...
and Mayfield Park
Mayfield Park, Bristol
Mayfield Park is a residential area in East Bristol, with a large adjoining park known as the Ridgeway Rd Playing Fields.The area is located on the outskirts of the outer urban area of Fishponds and consists mainly of three roads: Mayfield Park, Mayfield Park North and Mayfield Park South...
. Fishponds is bordered by five suburbs: Downend, Staple Hill, St. George
St George, Bristol
St. George is a district of Bristol, England on the edge of the inner city.- History :St George was originally outside the city boundary until about 1860. The area was once the end of the tram line from the city of Bristol, the terminus being in Beaconsfield Road.St...
, Eastville
Eastville, Bristol
Eastville is the name of both a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom and a suburb of the city that lies within that ward. The Eastville ward covers the areas of Eastville, Crofts End , Stapleton and part of Fishponds...
and Stapleton
Stapleton, Bristol
Stapleton is an area in the north-eastern 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...
, and has a population of approx 20,000.Bristol City Council: Statistics Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
Facilities
Public houses/pubs in Fishponds
There are currently sixteen pubsPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Fishponds, most of which date from the Victorian era.Bristol Lost Pubs: Fishponds Retrieved on 2008-04-17. Two are modern conversions; the Old 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...
, and the VanDyke, built as a 1200 seat cinema in 1926, it closed in 1973. The Star (built 1853), was formerly the headquarters of Bristol Rovers football club when they played as the Black Arabs in the 1890s. Historical Kits: Bristol Rovers Retrieved on 2008-04-17. Others include the Farriers Arms (built 1872), Railway Tavern (built 1867), Fishponds Tavern (built 1904), Full Moon (built 1850), Golden Lion (built 1883), Cross Keys (built 1853), Cross Hands (built 1853), Old Tavern (built 1899), Greyhound (built 1883), Spotted Cow (built 1883), Portcullis (built 1853), the Warwick Arms (built 1906), and the Oldbury Court (built 1957). Most are along the Fishponds Road running from Downend and Staple Hill to the north down towards Eastville to the south.
Buses
Fishponds is principally served by First buses 48/49, with 5 and 6 serving the outskirts. First Group: Bristol Overground Retrieved on 2008-04-17.Since 2007, Fishponds has also been served by the U3 bus, which runs from UWE Frenchay Campus to Old Market Street. It joins Fishponds Road at its junction with Manor Road, and then follows the 48/49 route as far as Old Market, where it terminates at the bus interchange near the inner ring road. It can be used by both students and the public. Diamond bus passes can also be used on this service.
Trains and trams
FishpondsFishponds railway station
Fishponds railway station was a station in Fishponds, Bristol, England, a victim of Dr Beeching's cuts in the 1960s.Fishponds station was just south of where Wm Morrison's supermarket car park is today. The railway line was built in 1835 for transport of coal from Coalpit Heath to industry in the...
railway station was open from 1866 until closure in 1965 and included a shunting line for Fishponds built locomotives of the Avonside Locomotive Works
Avonside Locomotive Works
The Avonside Locomotive Works was a locomotive manufacturer on Filwood Road, Fishponds, Bristol, England. A nearby locomotive builder was Peckett and Sons located on Deep Pit Road between Fishponds and St George.-The new company:...
to join the main line. The Bristol & Bath Railway Path now runs down the old line, and can be accessed at several points in Fishponds. The Bristol Tramway
Bristol Tramways
Bristol tramways were operated from 1875, when the Bristol Tramways Company was formed by Sir George White, until 1941 when a Luftwaffe bomb destroyed the power station.-History:...
also operated from Old Market
Old Market, Bristol
Old Market is a Conservation Area of national significance, to the east of the city centre in Bristol, England. Old Market Street and West Street form the central axis of the area, which is approximately bounded by New Street and Lawfords Gate to the north, Trinity Road and Trinity Street to the...
to Fishponds tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
terminus from 1897 to 1941.
History
The area of Fishponds was once covered by the Royal ForestRoyal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
of Kingswood
Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
Kingswood is an urban area in South Gloucestershire, England, bordering the City of Bristol to the west. It is located on both sides of the A420 road, which connects Bristol and Chippenham and which forms the high street through the principal retail zone...
. The forest was progressively reduced and developed over the centuries, with Fishponds first recorded as the "Newe Pooles" in 1610, and subsequently "Fish Ponds" by 1734. By the 17th century it was thriving village with numerous stone built cottages for miners and quarrymen who quarried for coal and pennant stone. The village grew up around the two pools formed from the old quarries, but both were filled in by 1839.
During the mid-to-late 19th century, Fishponds established a large manufacturing industry along Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway is an ancient passage through the former Royal Forest of Kingswood and now the main road between Fishponds and Kingswood in Bristol, England...
and Filwood Road.
Engineering and railway
Fishponds has been the site for several metal foundriesFoundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
, including George Adlam & Sons
George Adlam & Sons
George Adlam & Sons Ltd was an iron and brass foundry and engineering company in Fishponds, Bristol, England.The company was founded on Parnall Road in the 1830s and soon expanded into a worldwide business building machinery for the chocolate and brewing industries, taking over the former foundry...
founded in the 1830s and Parnall & Sons
Parnall & Sons
Parnall & Sons Ltd was a shop and ship fitting and aircraft component manufacturer in Bristol, England. The original company was set up in 1820 by William Parnall in Narrow Wine Street, initially making weights and measures, before expanding into shop keeping equipment and shop fittings.By the...
, who had a foundry and scale works in Fishponds and undertook manufacture of weights, measures and shop fittings. The company would later go on to fit out ocean liner passenger compartments on the RMS Britannic in 1929 and the famous QE2 in the 1960s.
The railway was built through Fishponds in 1835, and later included a shunting line for Fishponds built locomotives of the Avonside Locomotive Works
Avonside Locomotive Works
The Avonside Locomotive Works was a locomotive manufacturer on Filwood Road, Fishponds, Bristol, England. A nearby locomotive builder was Peckett and Sons located on Deep Pit Road between Fishponds and St George.-The new company:...
to join the main line. Peckett and Sons
Peckett and Sons
Peckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Works in St. George, Bristol, England.-Fox, Walker and Company:The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, Bristol, as Fox, Walker and Company, building four and six-coupled saddle tank engines for industrial use...
also built locomotives at the Atlas Works towards Speedwell, whose engines joined the line at Clay Hill until the company closed in 1958.
Chocolates and confectionery
From 1894 Palmer Bros biscuit and cake manufacturers operated on two sites on Fishponds Road, including the factory which is now part of the City Glass Company. Webers chocolatesWebers chocolates
Webers chocolates was a chocolate company in Fishponds, Bristol.The Swiss chocolatier Mr Weber opened his chocolate factory on Goodneston Road, in Fishponds, in 1914 and joined the well established Bristol chocolate industry which included Fry's, Carsons and Cadburys. The cholocolate range included...
on Goodneston Road was opened in 1914 and produced chocolates for 50 years, having had production lines alongside Oerlikon 20mm cannons 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...
.
Automobile and aircraft manufacturing
Straker-SquireStraker-Squire
Straker-Squire was a British automobile manufacturer based in Bristol, and later Edmonton in North London....
opened a large factory on Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway is an ancient passage through the former Royal Forest of Kingswood and now the main road between Fishponds and Kingswood in Bristol, England...
in 1907, and was a major producer of early London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
, with the factory in Fishponds supplying 70% of market by 1909. The company also produced trucks and successfully raced a number of its own car designs, including the 2.8 litre 15, dubbed ‘PDQ’ (Pretty Damn Quick), which on 25 October 1910 took the 15 hp flying mile record at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
at 95.54 miles per hour (153.8 km/h).Motormarques: Straker Squire Retrieved on 2007-11-29. The company moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1919.
The aeronautical industry first came to Fishponds in 1914 when Brazil Straker on Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway is an ancient passage through the former Royal Forest of Kingswood and now the main road between Fishponds and Kingswood in Bristol, England...
began building Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce aircraft piston engines
Rolls-Royce produced a range of piston engine types for aircraft use in the first half of the 20th Century. Production of own design engines ceased in 1955 with the last versions of the Griffon, licensed production of Teledyne Continental Motors general aviation engines was carried out by the...
aircraft engines for the RFC
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.Rolls-Royce Hawk
Rolls-Royce Hawk
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Flight 7 May 1954**Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
engines, components for the Eagle and also Renault 80hp 8Ca
Renault 80 hp
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
engines. Cosmos Engineering
Cosmos Engineering
Cosmos Engineering was a company that manufactured aero-engines in a factory in Fishponds, Bristol during World War I. Sir Roy Fedden, the company's principal designer, developed the 14-cylinder radial Mercury engine during this period...
bought the firm and designed and produced the famous Roy Fedden
Roy Fedden
Sir Alfred Hubert Roy Fedden MBE was an engineer who designed most of Bristol Engine Company's successful aircraft engine designs.-Early life:...
-penned Mercury
Bristol Mercury
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
engine before it was subsequently taken over by the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
in 1920. The site was subsequently acquired by Parnall & Sons who from 1941 produced aircraft components for a range of RAF aircraft including wings for De Havilland Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
s and fuselages for Short Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
bombers. Post war, Parnall & Sons continued manufacturing aircraft interiors and fuselages until about 1960. Today, Diamonite Aircraft Furnishings on Goodneston Road is supplying some of the worlds best aircraft interiors, including that for the Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.Kommersant: Russian President’s Jet Goes Online Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
Pottery, paper and printing
Pountney & Co moved to Fishponds in 1905 and opened a large factory on Lodge Causeway. The factory was an entirely new labour saving design and the company produced a range of domestic and luxury ceramicCeramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s which were exported across the world. The Royal Cauldron name was acquired in 1962, but by then the factory was suffering from lack of investment and the company went bankrupt in 1971.Pountney & Co: Fishponds Retrieved on 2007-11-27. The factory was subsequently pulled down and the site is now occupied by the Lodge Causeway Trading Estate.
E. S. & A. Robinson opened a very large cardboard box factory at Filwood Road in 1922. A subsidiary, the Robinson’s Waxed Paper
Wax paper
Wax paper is a kind of paper that is made moisture proof through the application of wax....
Co. Ltd, built a new factory across the road in 1929. In World War II the company produced aircraft components for the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Robinson’s merged to become the Dickson Robinson Group in 1966 and finally closed in 1996. The two sites are now owned by Graphic Packaging
Graphic Packaging
Graphic Packaging is a Fortune 1000 corporation based in Marietta, Georgia. It is a leading company in the design and manufacturing of packaging for commercial products. GP has created the display packaging for a wide range of popular consumer goods, particularly beverages and packaged food. Its...
and Zanetti & Bailey stone and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
masons, whose products and floors can be found in airports, shops and railway stations throughout the UK.