Bishopsworth guidebook

Bishopsworth lies to the south of Bristol City Centre, and alongside its neighbours of Hartcliffe, Withywood and Headly Park, offers a wide property range at comparatively affordable prices.

The building of the new housing estates of Hartcliffe and Withywood in the 1950s and '60s gave these two areas the reputation of being dominated by local authority housing.

However, a huge number of privately-owned developments have been built in both districts in recent decades, as well as in the neighbouring areas of Bishopsworth, Highridge and Headley Park.

Bishopsworth itself developed differently from Hartcliffe and Withywood; it was already a long established rural village by the time the massive housing expansion began on its doorstep, and so it has a very large stock of privately-owned homes.

You'll find properties dating from Victorian times through practically every decade to the numerous brand new terraced houses such as Rossiters Grange, completed just over two years ago.

Bishopsworth also has a good variety of property types including new apartments, flat conversions, bungalows, and large three- and four-bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached houses.

Headley Park, which has become quite a sought-after area, experienced its main period of growth in the 1930s and has a large number of solidly-built properties from this period, as well as more modern houses of every kind.

But, in recent times, most of the communities in what has become known as The Malago Valley - after the stream that runs through much of this part of South Bristol – have suffered from a lack of investment.

The situation hasn't been helped by poor road links and the area being considered slightly distant from the main sources of employment, and from leisure, health and shopping facilities of any note.

House prices have reflected this: a three-bedroom modern house in this area can still cost the same as the average one-bed property in Bristol.

Time for Change

But things are changing. The development of new retail outlets, and light industrial, business and leisure parks, plus the plentiful supply of affordable property, has meant that young working couples and first-time buyers have been moving in.

Housing development is ongoing, such as the purpose-built apartment block in Gatcombe Road in Hartcliffe, and the flats on the site of the old Mendip Gate in Withywood.

In Highridge Green, in the part of Bishopsworth heading towards Bedminster Down and the Bridgwater Road, there is a new development of one- and two-bedroom apartments.

At Headley Park, City View consists of two-bedroom two-storey apartments and one two-bedroom flat. Four dormer-style detached family homes have been built in Almond Walk, Headley Park.

There are also proposals for a giant landmark development in nearby Hengrove Park.  In addition to a hospital, a skills academy and a large swimming pool, there will be extensive building of new homes to rent or to buy – this is expected to have a big effect on the area, and, inevitably, on its house prices.