Knowle West, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Knowle West is a neighbourhood situated on a low plateau in the south of Bristol
, England, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the centre of the city. Most of the area is coterminous with the Filwood ward of Bristol City Council, although a small part of the estate lies within Knowle
ward to the east. To the west are Bishopsworth
and Hartcliffe
. To the north are Bedminster and Windmill Hill
and to the south Whitchurch Park and Hengrove
. The population as of 2008 was estimated as 11,787. The area is approximately 1.26 square miles (3.3 km²) in extent.
There is evidence of late Iron Age
and Roman
settlements in the area. At the time of the Domesday Book
, Knowle was a rural area assessed at a taxable value of two geld
units. Knowle West remained rural in character until the 1930s when a council housing
estate was developed to provide homes for Bristolians displaced by slum clearance in the centre of the city.
Famous former residents include the musician Tricky
, the boxer Dixie Brown
and late 1950s rock and roll
band The Eagles
. There are five schools and four churches in Knowle West, as well as a number of open spaces, community centres, youth clubs and shopping facilities. Community activities include the Knowle West Media Centre, the Residents' Planning Group and the Knowle West Health Association. There are no major employers in Knowle West but there are many small local enterprises and larger businesses on nearby trading estates. The closure of the Imperial Tobacco
factory at nearby Hartcliffe
in 1990 caused a large number of job losses. Just under a third of the residents are classed as economically inactive and the area is one of the most economically deprived in Bristol. Knowle West has relatively high indices of crime and drug use, but community efforts to combat this have had some success.
and Roman
settlement at Inns Court and Filwood Park, which lie within Knowle West. In 1086, the area that is now Knowle West was assessed by the Domesday survey
as part of Knowle
in the hundred of Hartcliffe
. The survey shows Knowle as being under the lordship of Eadnoth the Constable
who had 30 holdings in Devon
, Dorset
, Somerset
and Wiltshire
before the Norman conquest
. After the conquest, Knowle became part of the holdings of Osbern Giffard
, who was lord, or tenant in chief, of holdings throughout Gloucestershire
, Hampshire
, Wiltshire and Somerset. The Domesday Book shows Knowle as having eleven households, three ploughland
s, one cob
(small horse), eight cattle, twenty five pigs, a meadow of 16 acres (6.5 ha), pasture of 20 acres (8.1 ha) and a woodland area of 2.5 furlongs (502.9 m) by 1.5 furlongs (301.8 m). For taxation purposes, the whole was assessed at two geld
units. Filwood Park, in the southern part of the area was part of the parish of Whitchurch
until incorporated into Bristol in 1930. In Anglo-Saxon
times Filwood Chase was part of the royal hunting estate
known as Kingswood Forest, which encompassed a large area around Bristol.
Inns Court and Filwood farms have medieval
origins. The surviving parts of Inns Court, originally Inyn's Court, are now part of the former Holy Cross Inns Court Vicarage
and the staircase turret is now a Grade II* listed building. The building is in a state of bad repair and is on the "at risk" register. An isolation hospital
was built at Nover's Hill in 1892, eventually superseded by a new hospital at Ham Green, near Pill, which opened in 1927. The site is now occupied by the Knowle DGE (DGE standing for Discovery, Guidance and Enjoyment) Special School. In the 1920s, the area was still rural in nature, mostly agricultural and allotment land, including Filwood Farm, Inns Court Farm and Hengrove House. The old field boundaries influenced the subsequent development.
Knowle West was built in the 1930s as a council housing
estate. It was constructed on garden city
principles, with large gardens and "an abundance of fresh air and daylight." The aim of the development was to provide new homes for those who needed to be relocated as a result of clearance of inner-city slums in Bristol and "to provide healthier living conditions for large families on low incomes.
A new wave of development commenced in the 1960s at Inns Court, occasioned by the need for more homes following the further clearance of inner city areas which had been devastated by the Bristol Blitz
. Prefabricated home
s, which had been erected since the Second World War at Filwood Park were demolished in the 1960s. Subsequently, new homes were built on the Radburn principles
. "Common features were grouped houses arranged around a cul-de sac street layout thus the street layout broke away from the conventional street grid pattern", but this style of development is now considered to be a failure, due to the lack of "a safe and well-overlooked environment." The layout of housing built around short cul-de-sac
s "has resulted in a physical environment that contributes to isolation rather than facilitating community interaction", according to a 2009 city council report on the area. By 2008, around 45 per cent of the 4,475 homes were owner occupied. Plans were announced in 2010 for demolition of 1,000 homes in Inns Court. Local residents were opposed to this, and following their campaign, the council withdrew the plans and met with residents to discuss plans for redeveloping Filwood Broadway with new shops and a supermarket.
, creates a natural barrier to adjacent areas. The underlying bedrock is of the Lias Group
, a mixture of mudstones, marine limestones, sandstones and clays. The Bedminster Great coal seam lies some 2952 feet (899.8 m) below the area, but it is considered unlikely that coal was mined underneath Knowle West.Data from Open Geoscience maps, British Geological Survey, 2011
The local council Filwood ward is roughly coterminous with Knowle West, but two small areas of the estate lie in the neighbouring Knowle
ward. Definitions of the area of Knowle West vary, with some residents in the eastern fringes preferring to identify with Knowle.
was a member of the The Wild Bunch
sound system and a contributor to Massive Attack
's first two albums. Born in 1968, Tricky grew up in Knowle West in the 1970s and 1980s and was educated at Merrywood School. He named his 2008 album Knowle West Boy
in tribute to the area's influence on him and his music. Boxer Dixie Brown
lived in Knowle West from the 1930s until the 1950s and was a regular at the Venture Inn, a public house
in Melvin Square. He was frequently visited by black American troops during World War II
. The Eagles
were a rock and roll band who formed in the late 1950s at the Eagle House youth club and featured in the 1962 film Some People
.
in 1997. The nearest secondary schools are Oasis Academy John Williams in Hengrove
, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School in Brislington
, Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe
and Bedminster Down Secondary School
. Ongoing adult education is provided at the Park Centre and nearby Bedminster and Marksbury Road libraries.
walk-in centre for treating minor injuries on the Knowle West Health Park site. Doctors may be consulted at the adjacent GP walk-in centre and there are general practitioner
(GP) led health centres nearby in Knowle, Bedminster and Hartcliffe. Dentistry is provided at practices in Bishopsworth
, Knowle
and Bedminster. The nearest hospital is Bristol Royal Infirmary
in Bristol city centre. South Bristol Community Hospital
in nearby Hengrove
is expected to be open in 2012.
The Knowle West Media Centre won a Queen's Award for Services in the Community in 2006 and the Knowle West Health Association won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
in 2010.
Community enterprises include Re:work, who run construction, gardening, and furniture renovation projects, including their store on Filwood Broadway. They work with volunteers and support young people in skills development. Knowle West Health Park includes a GP service, a healthy living centre (which includes a studio with activities such as keep fit and dance activities), children's park, outdoor sports facilities, and a one-mile walk. Nearby nature walks include the Northern Slopes, including Novers Common, Glyn Vale/Kingswear and Wedmore Vale.
Local amenities include The Park Opportunity Centre, which offers a number of courses and programmes. The area has local shopping facilities, cafés and community centres and youth clubs such as Filwood Community Centre, Eagle House, Broadplain House, Novers Park and The Mede.
); St Barnabus (Church of England
), built in 1938; Holy Cross (Church of God of Prophecy
); and the Salvation Army
.
in Bedminster.
Journey times from Knowle West to the city centre have been identified as hampering employment opportunities for residents and proposals for a Great Bristol Bus Network and a rapid transit scheme have noted the need to provide better connectivity for the area. A journey from Filwood Park to the city centre takes around 50 minutes and from Inns Court to Broadmead takes over 30 minutes. Proposed extensions to the A4174 ring road, which would pass along the southern part of Knowle West, have been claimed to reduce delays across the Greater Bristol area by 6%, and lead to a 9% increase in public transport use. The plans have not as yet been approved by the Department for Transport
.
factory at nearby Hartcliffe
in 1990 meant the loss of 5,000 jobs and an estimated further 20,000 jobs in service and supporting industries throughout South Bristol. A House of Commons report noted that this had a seriously negative effect on the area as many people in Knowle West and neighbouring areas lost the opportunity for "manual and semi-skilled employment". The Independent
in 1995 noted high drug use and associated crime and reported on the establishment of Knowle West Against Drugs, led by local parents concerned about these problems. In 2006, BBC News
said "Knowle West has more than its share of social problems. The highest number of kids in care of any council ward in Bristol. The lowest number of young people with any qualifications (under half). A major petty crime problem, drug addiction, and add to that people are fed up with bad housing." Shawnie, a 2006 novel by social worker Ed Trewavas, written from the point of view of a 13 year old girl living in Knowle West, documents some of the deprivation he encountered in his work. One of the novel's characters "describes Knowle West ... as a 'shit hole' populated by 'yokels, cider-heads, junkies, dole-scammers, slappers and failed wide boys, all interbreeding and nicking their cruddy possessions off of each other in some giant, dismal rota.'"
The Guardian
in 2007 reported "Fed up with the media's view of their community as a hub for drug use, crime and antisocial behaviour, the residents of one of Britain's most notorious housing estates decided to fight back." The article noted that projects such as Knowle West Media were having a positive impact, "Those kids coming out of the media centre aren't the criminals and layabouts everyone expects from Knowle West; they're film-makers, photographers and designers." According to police statistics the levels of crime and anti-social behaviour
(ASB) in Knowle West are above average for England and Wales, with 241 crimes and ASB incidents reported in June 2011. A 2007 report for the Community Foundation Network
, looking at the work of voluntary sector groups, found that three quarters of the super output areas in Filwood ward are amongst the 10% most deprived in England. The report also found a strong sense of community within the area with "a history of community activity".
members. The MP for the Bristol South constituency, since 1987, is Dawn Primarolo
, of the Labour Party. Filwood is represented in the European Parliament
by the six MEPs
of the South West England constituency
.
(SNCI), with areas of grassland, scrub and broad-leaved woodland. There are also three children's playgrounds and a few small open spaces, mostly grassed areas between buildings or at road junctions. There are 42 acres (17 ha) of natural open space and 69 acres (27.9 ha) of what is described by the city council as "informal open space", such as wide road verges, roundabouts and playing fields, in Knowle West. The average number of bird species per garden is two and 41 per cent of residents reported frogs in gardens or allotments. Proposals for development of open spaces were made in 2009 by Bristol City Council and opposed by residents. On the Northern Slopes, tree species recorded include hazel
, blackthorn
, alder
, hawthorn
; bird life includes robin
s, blackbirds, chiffchaff
s, house sparrow
s, starling
s and thrush
es; bats include pipistrelles and noctules; wildflowers include cowslips
, primrose
s, agrinomy and knapweed; mammals include rabbits and foxes.
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...
, England, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the centre of the city. Most of the area is coterminous with the Filwood ward of Bristol City Council, although a small part of the estate lies within Knowle
Knowle, Bristol
Knowle is a district and council ward in the south of Bristol. It is bordered by Filwood Park to the west, Brislington to the east, Whitchurch and Hengrove to the south and Totterdown to the north....
ward to the east. To the west are Bishopsworth
Bishopsworth
Bishopsworth is the name of both a council ward of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and a suburb of the city which lies within that ward.As well as the suburb of Bishopsworth, the ward contains the areas of Bedminster Down, Highridge and Withywood....
and Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and a district of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and Bishopsworth....
. To the north are Bedminster and Windmill Hill
Windmill Hill, Bristol
Windmill Hill is situated in the south of the city of Bristol and is often referred to as being part of Bedminster. It is a predominantly residential location, and became popular in the 1990s and 2000s with students, artists and environmentalists, often sharing rented accommodation...
and to the south Whitchurch Park and Hengrove
Hengrove
Hengrove is a suburb and council ward of Bristol, England, situated between Whitchurch, Knowle and Bishopsworth, running along both dual carriageways, Wells Road and Airport Road . It consists mainly of working to middle class terrace houses. It contains an infant, primary and secondary school...
. The population as of 2008 was estimated as 11,787. The area is approximately 1.26 square miles (3.3 km²) in extent.
There is evidence of late Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
and Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
settlements in the area. At the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
, Knowle was a rural area assessed at a taxable value of two geld
Weregild
Weregild was a value placed on every human being and every piece of property in the Salic Code...
units. Knowle West remained rural in character until the 1930s when a council housing
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
estate was developed to provide homes for Bristolians displaced by slum clearance in the centre of the city.
Famous former residents include the musician Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
, the boxer Dixie Brown
Dixie Brown
Anthony George Charles, a boxer known as Dixie Brown, was born in Castries, Saint Lucia, 27 June 1900. He worked on the construction of the Panama Canal and emigrated to Cardiff, Wales in 1919. In the West Country of England, he survived by working as as a bare-knuckle boxer in fairground booths...
and late 1950s rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band The Eagles
The Eagles (UK band)
The Eagles were a British music quartet active from 1958 until the mid 1960s. They formed in 1958, at the Eagle House youth club in Knowle West, Bristol....
. There are five schools and four churches in Knowle West, as well as a number of open spaces, community centres, youth clubs and shopping facilities. Community activities include the Knowle West Media Centre, the Residents' Planning Group and the Knowle West Health Association. There are no major employers in Knowle West but there are many small local enterprises and larger businesses on nearby trading estates. The closure of the Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
factory at nearby Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and a district of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and Bishopsworth....
in 1990 caused a large number of job losses. Just under a third of the residents are classed as economically inactive and the area is one of the most economically deprived in Bristol. Knowle West has relatively high indices of crime and drug use, but community efforts to combat this have had some success.
History
There is evidence of late Iron AgeBritish Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
and Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
settlement at Inns Court and Filwood Park, which lie within Knowle West. In 1086, the area that is now Knowle West was assessed by the Domesday survey
Domesday 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...
as part of Knowle
Knowle, Bristol
Knowle is a district and council ward in the south of Bristol. It is bordered by Filwood Park to the west, Brislington to the east, Whitchurch and Hengrove to the south and Totterdown to the north....
in the hundred of Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe (hundred)
The Hundred of Hartcliffe is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
. The survey shows Knowle as being under the lordship of Eadnoth the Constable
Eadnoth the Constable
Eadnoth the Constable, also known as Eadnoth the Staller, was an Anglo-Saxon landowner and steward to Edward the Confessor and Harold II, mentioned in Domesday Book as having 30 holdings in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire before the Norman conquest. He may also have been the same person as...
who had 30 holdings in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
before the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. After the conquest, Knowle became part of the holdings of Osbern Giffard
Osbern Giffard
Osbern Giffard, , was one of the knights who invaded England under William the Conqueror in 1066. He was rewarded with holdings throughout Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset. He settled in Brimpsfield, where he built a castle which was destroyed by Edward II in 1322...
, who was lord, or tenant in chief, of holdings throughout Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, 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...
, Wiltshire and Somerset. The Domesday Book shows Knowle as having eleven households, three ploughland
Carucate
The carucate or ploughland was a unit of assessment for tax used in most Danelaw counties of England, and is found for example in Domesday Book. The carucate was based on the area a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season...
s, one cob
Cob (horse)
A cob is a small horse, usually of a stout build, with strong bones, large joints, and steady disposition; it is a body type of horse rather than a specific breed...
(small horse), eight cattle, twenty five pigs, a meadow of 16 acres (6.5 ha), pasture of 20 acres (8.1 ha) and a woodland area of 2.5 furlongs (502.9 m) by 1.5 furlongs (301.8 m). For taxation purposes, the whole was assessed at two geld
Weregild
Weregild was a value placed on every human being and every piece of property in the Salic Code...
units. Filwood Park, in the southern part of the area was part of the parish of Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Bristol
Whitchurch is a village in north Somerset, England and an adjoining suburb of south eastern Bristol, bounded by Hartcliffe to the west and Hengrove and Knowle to the north. The suburb was initially developed during the 1930s....
until incorporated into Bristol in 1930. In Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
times Filwood Chase was part of the royal hunting estate
Royal 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...
known as Kingswood Forest, which encompassed a large area around Bristol.
Inns Court and Filwood farms have medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
origins. The surviving parts of Inns Court, originally Inyn's Court, are now part of the former Holy Cross Inns Court Vicarage
Holy Cross Inns Court Vicarage
The Holy Cross Inns Court Vicarage is in the Knowle West area of Bristol, England.It was built in the 15th century. The surviving fragment comes from what was once a much larger house, which was probably built for the lawyer Sir John Innys, who died in 1439....
and the staircase turret is now a Grade II* listed building. The building is in a state of bad repair and is on the "at risk" register. An isolation hospital
Isolation (health care)
In health care, isolation refers to various measures taken to prevent contagious diseases from being spread from a patient to other patients, health care workers, and visitors, or from others to a particular patient...
was built at Nover's Hill in 1892, eventually superseded by a new hospital at Ham Green, near Pill, which opened in 1927. The site is now occupied by the Knowle DGE (DGE standing for Discovery, Guidance and Enjoyment) Special School. In the 1920s, the area was still rural in nature, mostly agricultural and allotment land, including Filwood Farm, Inns Court Farm and Hengrove House. The old field boundaries influenced the subsequent development.
Knowle West was built in the 1930s as a council housing
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
estate. It was constructed on garden city
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
principles, with large gardens and "an abundance of fresh air and daylight." The aim of the development was to provide new homes for those who needed to be relocated as a result of clearance of inner-city slums in Bristol and "to provide healthier living conditions for large families on low incomes.
A new wave of development commenced in the 1960s at Inns Court, occasioned by the need for more homes following the further clearance of inner city areas which had been devastated by the Bristol Blitz
Bristol Blitz
Bristol was the fifth most heavily bombed British city of World War II. The presence of Bristol Harbour and the Bristol Aeroplane Company made it a target for bombing by the Nazi German Luftwaffe who were able to trace a course up the River Avon from Avonmouth using reflected moonlight on the...
. Prefabricated home
Prefabricated home
Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled....
s, which had been erected since the Second World War at Filwood Park were demolished in the 1960s. Subsequently, new homes were built on the Radburn principles
American Radburn design for public housing
The American Radburn design for public housing is a reference the civil engineering designs for public housing estates applied in the 1970s in Sydney, Australia and other places. It is typified by the backyards of homes facing the street and the fronts of homes facing each other over common yards...
. "Common features were grouped houses arranged around a cul-de sac street layout thus the street layout broke away from the conventional street grid pattern", but this style of development is now considered to be a failure, due to the lack of "a safe and well-overlooked environment." The layout of housing built around short cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
s "has resulted in a physical environment that contributes to isolation rather than facilitating community interaction", according to a 2009 city council report on the area. By 2008, around 45 per cent of the 4,475 homes were owner occupied. Plans were announced in 2010 for demolition of 1,000 homes in Inns Court. Local residents were opposed to this, and following their campaign, the council withdrew the plans and met with residents to discuss plans for redeveloping Filwood Broadway with new shops and a supermarket.
Location
Modern Knowle West has an area of approximately 1.26 square miles (3.3 km²), located on a plateau about 215 feet (65.5 m) above sea level,Data from OS Landranger Map (1:50 000) Bristol & Bath Sheet 172, Ordnance Survey, 2005 south of the centre of Bristol, between the districts of Knowle on the east, Whitchurch Park and Hengrove to the south, Hartcliffe and Bishopsworth to the west and Bedminster and Windmill Hill to the north. There is steeply sloping land to the north and west, which together with the Pigeonhouse stream, a tributary of the River MalagoRiver Malago
The Malago is a tributary of the Bristol Avon in southwestern England, some long. The river rises in springs on the north side of Dundry Hill on the borders of Somerset and Bristol. The main tributary is the Pigeonhouse stream which also rises on Dundry...
, creates a natural barrier to adjacent areas. The underlying bedrock is of the Lias Group
Lias Group
The Lias Group or Lias is a lithostratigraphic unit found in a large area of western Europe, including the British Isles, the North Sea, the low countries and the north of Germany...
, a mixture of mudstones, marine limestones, sandstones and clays. The Bedminster Great coal seam lies some 2952 feet (899.8 m) below the area, but it is considered unlikely that coal was mined underneath Knowle West.Data from Open Geoscience maps, British Geological Survey, 2011
The local council Filwood ward is roughly coterminous with Knowle West, but two small areas of the estate lie in the neighbouring Knowle
Knowle, Bristol
Knowle is a district and council ward in the south of Bristol. It is bordered by Filwood Park to the west, Brislington to the east, Whitchurch and Hengrove to the south and Totterdown to the north....
ward. Definitions of the area of Knowle West vary, with some residents in the eastern fringes preferring to identify with Knowle.
Notable residents
The musician TrickyTricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
was a member of the The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch (sound system)
The Wild Bunch was a sound system based in the St Paul's district of Bristol, England from 1983 to 1986. The group was renowned for playing sets that drew large crowds from the club scene and had performed shows as far away as London. They performed in soundclashes against other Bristol sound...
sound system and a contributor to Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
's first two albums. Born in 1968, Tricky grew up in Knowle West in the 1970s and 1980s and was educated at Merrywood School. He named his 2008 album Knowle West Boy
Knowle West Boy
Knowle West Boy is the eighth studio album by rapper and producer Tricky, released by Domino Records on 7 July 2008 in Europe, and 9 September 2008 in North America.-Track listing:# "Puppy Toy" – 3:34...
in tribute to the area's influence on him and his music. Boxer Dixie Brown
Dixie Brown
Anthony George Charles, a boxer known as Dixie Brown, was born in Castries, Saint Lucia, 27 June 1900. He worked on the construction of the Panama Canal and emigrated to Cardiff, Wales in 1919. In the West Country of England, he survived by working as as a bare-knuckle boxer in fairground booths...
lived in Knowle West from the 1930s until the 1950s and was a regular at the Venture Inn, a public house
Public 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 Melvin Square. He was frequently visited by black American troops 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 Eagles
The Eagles (UK band)
The Eagles were a British music quartet active from 1958 until the mid 1960s. They formed in 1958, at the Eagle House youth club in Knowle West, Bristol....
were a rock and roll band who formed in the late 1950s at the Eagle House youth club and featured in the 1962 film Some People
Some People
Some People is a 1962 film directed by Clive Donner. It stars Kenneth More and Ray Brooks.-Cast:* Kenneth More as Mr. Smith* Ray Brooks as Johnnie* Anneke Wills as Anne* David Andrews as Bill* Angela Douglas as Terry* David Hemmings as Bert...
.
Education
There are three primary schools in Knowle West; Connaught Road Primary School, Greenfield Primary School and School Of Christ The King. In addition there is Knowle DGE Special School (formerly the Florence Brown Community Special School), which serves pupils of all ages who have learning difficulties or social and emotional behaviour difficulties. There is also a nursery, Knowle West Children's Centre.· Secondary school students are educated in adjacent areas, following the closure of Merrywood School in 2000, after a critical report by OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in 1997. The nearest secondary schools are Oasis Academy John Williams in Hengrove
Hengrove
Hengrove is a suburb and council ward of Bristol, England, situated between Whitchurch, Knowle and Bishopsworth, running along both dual carriageways, Wells Road and Airport Road . It consists mainly of working to middle class terrace houses. It contains an infant, primary and secondary school...
, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School in Brislington
Brislington
Brislington is an area in the south east of the city of Bristol, England. It is on the edge of Bristol and from Bath. The Brislington Brook runs through the area in the woodlands of Nightingale Valley...
, Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and a district of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and Bishopsworth....
and Bedminster Down Secondary School
Bedminster Down Secondary School
Bedminster Down Secondary School, opened in 1955, is a mixed comprehensive school in the Bedminster Down Area of Bristol, England.In 2003, Bedminster Down School was selected as one of four schools in Bristol to be completely rebuilt through the PFI programme. Work began in 2004, and the new school...
. Ongoing adult education is provided at the Park Centre and nearby Bedminster and Marksbury Road libraries.
Health
There is a National Health ServiceNational Health Service (England)
The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
walk-in centre for treating minor injuries on the Knowle West Health Park site. Doctors may be consulted at the adjacent GP walk-in centre and there are general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
(GP) led health centres nearby in Knowle, Bedminster and Hartcliffe. Dentistry is provided at practices in Bishopsworth
Bishopsworth
Bishopsworth is the name of both a council ward of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and a suburb of the city which lies within that ward.As well as the suburb of Bishopsworth, the ward contains the areas of Bedminster Down, Highridge and Withywood....
, Knowle
Knowle, Bristol
Knowle is a district and council ward in the south of Bristol. It is bordered by Filwood Park to the west, Brislington to the east, Whitchurch and Hengrove to the south and Totterdown to the north....
and Bedminster. The nearest hospital is Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol Royal Infirmary
The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the medical faculty of the nearby University of Bristol, and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in...
in Bristol city centre. South Bristol Community Hospital
South Bristol Community Hospital
South Bristol Community Hospital is a NHS hospital that is under construction NHS Bristol primary care trust in the Hengrove area of Bristol, England, on the site of the former Whitchurch Airport. Planning permission for the hospital was granted in March 2008....
in nearby Hengrove
Hengrove
Hengrove is a suburb and council ward of Bristol, England, situated between Whitchurch, Knowle and Bishopsworth, running along both dual carriageways, Wells Road and Airport Road . It consists mainly of working to middle class terrace houses. It contains an infant, primary and secondary school...
is expected to be open in 2012.
Community activities
There are a number of community activities, including a community website, knowlewest.co.uk, showing the latest events and news in the area. A community newsletter called The Knowledge is produced by Community In Partnership (CIP), facilitated by the Knowle West Media Centre. The Knowle West Residents' Planning Group was established in 2010 to work on a regeneration plan, based on the positive attributes of the estate.The Knowle West Media Centre won a Queen's Award for Services in the Community in 2006 and the Knowle West Health Association won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, also known as the The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community is an annual award given to groups in the voluntary sector of the United Kingdom. Winning groups are announced in the London Gazette on 2 June each year, the...
in 2010.
Community enterprises include Re:work, who run construction, gardening, and furniture renovation projects, including their store on Filwood Broadway. They work with volunteers and support young people in skills development. Knowle West Health Park includes a GP service, a healthy living centre (which includes a studio with activities such as keep fit and dance activities), children's park, outdoor sports facilities, and a one-mile walk. Nearby nature walks include the Northern Slopes, including Novers Common, Glyn Vale/Kingswear and Wedmore Vale.
Local amenities include The Park Opportunity Centre, which offers a number of courses and programmes. The area has local shopping facilities, cafés and community centres and youth clubs such as Filwood Community Centre, Eagle House, Broadplain House, Novers Park and The Mede.
Churches
Churches include Christ the King (Roman Catholic), built in 1952; Destiny Knowles Pentecostal Church (PentecostalPentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
); St Barnabus (Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
), built in 1938; Holy Cross (Church of God of Prophecy
Church of God of Prophecy
The Church of God of Prophecy is a Christian denomination with beliefs and principles similar to Pentecostal Holiness Christian faith. It is one of five Church of God bodies headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee that descended from a small meeting of believers who gathered at the Barney Creek...
); and the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
.
Transport
Knowle West is served by four council supported bus services, which connect the area to Totterdown, Broadmead, Hotwells, Bedminster and Brislington. In addition First Group run two services, which connect with Withywood, the city centre and Hengrove. The nearest railway station is at Parson StreetParson Street railway station
Parson Street railway station serves the western end of Bedminster in Bristol, England. It also serves other surrounding suburbs including Bishopsworth and Ashton Gate, along with Bristol City FC.-History:...
in Bedminster.
Journey times from Knowle West to the city centre have been identified as hampering employment opportunities for residents and proposals for a Great Bristol Bus Network and a rapid transit scheme have noted the need to provide better connectivity for the area. A journey from Filwood Park to the city centre takes around 50 minutes and from Inns Court to Broadmead takes over 30 minutes. Proposed extensions to the A4174 ring road, which would pass along the southern part of Knowle West, have been claimed to reduce delays across the Greater Bristol area by 6%, and lead to a 9% increase in public transport use. The plans have not as yet been approved by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
.
Demographics
The population estimate for Filwood ward, as of 2008, was 11,787. There were 3,007 under 15 years old and 1,651 were of pensionable age. 7,316 were Christian, 2,925 had no religion and there were small numbers of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh residents. 96.2 per cent were described as white and 3.8 per cent as being of black minority ethnicity.Employment
There are a number of small community enterprises in the area, but most of those in work need to drive to other parts of Bristol. The Bristol City Council Baseline Briefing notes that employment opportunities for those without a car are limited There is a retail park on the former Imperial Tobacco factory site in Hartcliffe, which has plans for further development. In addition, South Bristol Business Park was built on the former Filwood playing fields in the early 21st century. It was reported that 2,300 residents had local employment in 2008 and 3,264 were classed as economically inactive; that is to say they were not employed and not actively seeking employment. 71 per cent of jobs were in service industries. 213 residents were claiming unemployment benefits.Deprivation
Six out of eight areas in Knowle West are ranked as being economically deprived. The closure of the Imperial TobaccoImperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
factory at nearby Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and a district of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and Bishopsworth....
in 1990 meant the loss of 5,000 jobs and an estimated further 20,000 jobs in service and supporting industries throughout South Bristol. A House of Commons report noted that this had a seriously negative effect on the area as many people in Knowle West and neighbouring areas lost the opportunity for "manual and semi-skilled employment". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
in 1995 noted high drug use and associated crime and reported on the establishment of Knowle West Against Drugs, led by local parents concerned about these problems. In 2006, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
said "Knowle West has more than its share of social problems. The highest number of kids in care of any council ward in Bristol. The lowest number of young people with any qualifications (under half). A major petty crime problem, drug addiction, and add to that people are fed up with bad housing." Shawnie, a 2006 novel by social worker Ed Trewavas, written from the point of view of a 13 year old girl living in Knowle West, documents some of the deprivation he encountered in his work. One of the novel's characters "describes Knowle West ... as a 'shit hole' populated by 'yokels, cider-heads, junkies, dole-scammers, slappers and failed wide boys, all interbreeding and nicking their cruddy possessions off of each other in some giant, dismal rota.'"
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2007 reported "Fed up with the media's view of their community as a hub for drug use, crime and antisocial behaviour, the residents of one of Britain's most notorious housing estates decided to fight back." The article noted that projects such as Knowle West Media were having a positive impact, "Those kids coming out of the media centre aren't the criminals and layabouts everyone expects from Knowle West; they're film-makers, photographers and designers." According to police statistics the levels of crime and anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...
(ASB) in Knowle West are above average for England and Wales, with 241 crimes and ASB incidents reported in June 2011. A 2007 report for the Community Foundation Network
Community Foundation Network
Community Foundation Network is a registered charity that leads a movement of community foundations committed to positive social change in the UK through the development of “community philanthropy”...
, looking at the work of voluntary sector groups, found that three quarters of the super output areas in Filwood ward are amongst the 10% most deprived in England. The report also found a strong sense of community within the area with "a history of community activity".
Politics
Since 1995, the two Bristol City councillors for Filwood ward have been Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
members. The MP for the Bristol South constituency, since 1987, is Dawn Primarolo
Dawn Primarolo
Dawn Primarolo is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bristol South since 1987. She was Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families at the Department for Children, Schools and Families from June 2009 to May 2010 and is now a Deputy Speaker of...
, of the Labour Party. Filwood is represented in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
by the six MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
.
Environment
Open spaces include Glyn Vale Open Space, part of the Northern Slopes; Filwood Playing Fields and Filwood Park; Airport Road Open Space; Inns Court Open Space, which all are proposed Sites of Nature Conservation InterestSite of Nature Conservation Interest
Site of Nature Conservation Interest is a designation used in many parts of the United Kingdom to protect areas of importance for wildlife and geology at a county scale...
(SNCI), with areas of grassland, scrub and broad-leaved woodland. There are also three children's playgrounds and a few small open spaces, mostly grassed areas between buildings or at road junctions. There are 42 acres (17 ha) of natural open space and 69 acres (27.9 ha) of what is described by the city council as "informal open space", such as wide road verges, roundabouts and playing fields, in Knowle West. The average number of bird species per garden is two and 41 per cent of residents reported frogs in gardens or allotments. Proposals for development of open spaces were made in 2009 by Bristol City Council and opposed by residents. On the Northern Slopes, tree species recorded include hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
, blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
, alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, hawthorn
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
; bird life includes robin
European Robin
The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher...
s, blackbirds, chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
The Common Chiffchaff, or simply the Chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf-warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia....
s, house sparrow
House Sparrow
The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
s, starling
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
s and thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
es; bats include pipistrelles and noctules; wildflowers include cowslips
Primula veris
Primula veris is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.-Names:The common name cowslip derives...
, primrose
Primula veris
Primula veris is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.-Names:The common name cowslip derives...
s, agrinomy and knapweed; mammals include rabbits and foxes.