Kingsdown was recently declared one of the best places to live in the UK by The Sunday Times.
The list described the small area, reached after a vertiginous climb if travelling from the city centre, as a “colourful Georgian enclave” after the beautiful houses which line the likes of Kingsdown Parade. People who live and work in Kingsdown say it is more diverse than it might first appear.
“It’s a really nice place to live, it’s got a genuine mix of people (from) all echelons, all ethnicities, (it’s a) really chilled out place to live,” Ed Johnson, who has run The Hare on the Hill pub since 2019, said.
“You don’t see much trouble.”
While the Georgian houses which in today’s market are worth substantially north of £1m caught the eyes of The Sunday Times’ judges, Kingsdown is bookended by three large housing estates on Dove Street to the southeast and the High Kingsdown post-war development to the northwest.
The area’s proximity to Bristol University also makes it very popular with students. “I think everyone who lives here doesn’t mind living next to Stokes Croft, we’ve all got that in common,” Ed added with a laugh.
Kingsdown reportedly gets its name from being used as the exercise ground for horses belonging to soldiers who were garrisoned at the nearby Royal Castle, in what is now Castle Park, in medieval times.
The area began to be developed into something resembling what it is today towards the end of the 18th century, when Bristol was flush with money thanks in part to the slave trade.
By the 1950s, many of the houses in the area had fallen into disrepair and were being considered for demolition, but local residents formed the Kingsdown Conservation Group (KCG) in 1971 and two years later the area was given protected status by the council.
The Kingsdown Conservation Area, which was established in 1973 to preserve the character of the neighbourhood, covers a small space between Dove Street and Back of Kingsdown Parade, bordered by Springfield Road in the northeast and Alfred Place and Alfred Hill to the southwest.
Despite the Conservation Area being clearly defined, what is actually considered Kingsdown remains a source of debate. The Sunday Times feature, for example, extols the virtues of St Michael’s Hill – outside the boundary limits of the protected area but considered by many to be part of the neighbourhood.
Richard Storer, a softly spoken retired engineer who is a member of the KCG, has lived in Kingsdown for forty years. He carried his daughter home after she was born at nearby St Michael’s Hospital.
Even he isn’t exactly sure where Kingsdown ends and Cotham, to the north, begins. Richard said that many people who had moved to Kingsdown at a similar time to him, when the area was still a cheap place to purchase property, had stuck around ever since.
One thing Richard said he liked most about the area was how clean it generally was, which he attributed partly to a very vigilant local ‘anti-graffiti squad’. About a year ago, he took on the task of writing the community newsletter, which he sends to about 350 residents.
“I’m sort of surprised that it’s still popular, you know, in these days of WhatsApp groups, but it is (popular),” he said. “I took it on because I thought this gives you a sense of the cohesion in the community, you know, getting these little bits of news, what’s on at the church and this, that and the other, and what’s on in the pubs and stuff.”
The pubs are undoubtedly a huge part of Kingsdown’s draw. Along with The Hare on the Hill, The Hillgrove, The Green Man, Cotham Porter Stores and Kingsdown Vaults can all be found in an area which measures about half a square mile between St Michael’s Hill and Stokes Croft.
Despite the competition, Ed said each pub in Kingsdown seemed to be coping despite what he acknowledged were ‘dark times’ for the hospitality sector.
“Business is great,” he said. “There’s no interference, seemingly from all the pubs (in such a small area). Everyone gets a share.
“It’s kind of like a pub quarter, I like to think of it a bit as a real ale quarter… all of us seem to be doing quite well in these dark, hard times.”
Although Ed and his wife and co-landlord Liz—who is heavily pregnant with their second child—have recently moved away from the area to escape the madness of living above the pub they run, he said he had nothing but fond memories of their six years living in Kingsdown.
Ed’s love of the area is shared by local councillor Mohamed Makawi, who said he was very happy that the area had been recognised by a national publication.
“As someone who has lived in Kingsdown and Cotham for almost 30 years, I’m delighted to see our community recognised as one of the best places to live in the UK,” he said.
“Kingsdown’s unique blend of Georgian character, green spaces, independent businesses and a genuinely caring community spirit is what makes it so special. As a ward councillor, I am proud to represent an area where neighbours look out for one another, heritage is valued, and people take real pride in the place they call home.”
