St George guidebook

It started out as a medieval market garden, and since then has been a mining centre and the terminus for the tram line out from the city.

St George  eventually became a Victorian suburb, and small shops, houses, pubs, churches and schools are clustered around the main artery of Church Road, which forks off to Kingswood and Hanham.

One of St George's claims to fame is that a century ago the entertainer Bob Hope lived there for two years from 1906 until his family emigrated to America, but now it is best known as the location of the much-praised City Academy, the first of its type in the South West, which opened in 2003.

St George's Park, which was built on farmland, is a well-appreciated open space, complete with its own lake.

The area is culturally diverse - seen in the fact that the former St George Comprehensive School has been a Sikh Temple for the last 11 years.

Slightly west of St George towards the city centre is Redfield, a shopping area with both national and local independent businesses.

Church Road suffered years of decline until traders in Redfield and in the area joined forces to revitalise it as part of the 2004 Redfield Action Plan.

Redfield Traders worked to ensure that the redevelopment of the area did not result in ‘clone town Britain’ syndrome, with a high street filled with independent businesses. The area is served by a new showcase bus route.

St George is also handy for the £500 million Cabot Circus development due to open in the autumn at the edge of Broadmead.

Property in St George  

Despite boasting residential streets of solidly built Victorian houses just a short distance from the city centre, and being close to extensive parklands and the River Avon, the St George area was for years something of a sleeping giant as far as the housing market was concerned.

However, as house prices rose elsewhere in the city, young professionals, first-time buyers and investors began to look further afield and were quick to spot the potential of this part of Bristol.

The result is that St George has become something of a property hotspot. At first, it was the roads of terraced houses that underwent renovation, and it wasn't long before this had a positive impact on prices.

That didn't escape the notice of the property developers, and a huge amount of new building has been going on since, predominantly providing one- and two-bedroom apartments and maisonettes.

This has attracted a growing market of young professionals who are looking for comfortable, stylish living in a nice environment that is within an easy commute of the main city employment areas.

Developing district

One of the largest new developments is Zenith, comprising as many as 67 one- and two-bedroom modern apartments close to the River Avon.

City View in Russell Town has one-, two- and three-bed apartments, some with wonderful views across the city, while several of the flats in the Blackswarth Road development overlook the river.

Many more new-build apartments are available in this area, including the recently completed development in St George Gate and another in Church Road.
 
And in Devon Road, close to the Bristol to Bath cycle path, there's the new Francis Court development which comprises 12 three-bedroom town houses on three floors.

It's not all new-build, however: some of the area's older, more unusual buildings have also been transformed into housing, such as the old police station which is now apartments.

The parish church that gave the St George area its name was demolished some time ago and replaced by sheltered housing, and a similar scenario occurred in neighbouring Whitehall at the vicarage of the Parish Church of St Ambrose.
 
And a new-build project took place on a landmark site in Crews Hole Road where Isambard Kingdom Brunel had established a tar works to make creosote for his railway sleepers.

The works operated until 1981 but, after extensive land clearance, the site, which is alongside the river and backs onto woods, was redeveloped into the very popular Baranwheel Court apartment buildings.

Another successful transformation was carried out in nearby Albert Grove, where a red-brick former warehouse was converted into two-bedroom maisonettes.

Surrounding Areas

Whitehall and Redfield are following in the footsteps of St George as buyers and investors discover their well-built Victorian and Edwardian houses located close to the city centre and to the M32 motorway.

Easton is an incredibly vibrant, diverse multi-cultural community and has become increasingly popular with first-time buyers and young professionals who are attracted by the place's lively atmosphere, its exotic shops and its affordable house prices.

In Lawrence Hill, house prices are still considerably lower than elsewhere in this part of Bristol. 

However, this area has been the granted regeneration status by the European Union as well as by the UK government, so it will be interesting to see if the price rises eventually extend here as well as to neighbouring Eastville.

LIVING IN ST GEORGE
 
Transport

Road: St George and Redfield are well served by bus routes. The number 332 comes from Bath and the 41 from Cadbury Heath. The number 44 or 45 links with Hanham, the 43/43A from Kingswood, and the 6 and 7 from Fishponds and Soundwell. The area is also served by the new Showcase bus route.

Train: West of St George and Redfield is the Lawrence Hill train station, from which trains leave for Temple Meads, Avonmouth, Easton, Clifton Down, Gloucestershire and South Wales.

Air: Bristol International Airport is about 30 minutes drive away, down the A38.

Shopping and entertainment

St George and Redfield has a healthy number of independent traders, selling everything from jewellery and pet supplies to photographic services.

The Avonmeads Retail Park at nearby St Philips Causeway has a good selection of shops, from Boots and Mothercare to a Brantano shoe store and Miss Selfridges.

There is also a Showcase cinema, Hollywood Bowl, and a Deep Pan Pizza at Avonmeads Retail Park (it also has a 14 screen cinema and a 26 lane bowling alley). There's a Marks and Spencers Simply Food store here too.

Redfield offers a great selection of places to eat, from Polish deli’s and English restaurants to Afro-Caribbean and Somali cuisines. There are also plenty of good pubs in St George and Redfield to wash it all down.
 

Sport and leisure

St George's Park is a great open space for walking, games or a quiet picnic on a nice day. It also has a children’s play area, four tennis courts and a bowling green for hire, as well as an area for skateboarding. Netham Recreation Ground is also nearby.

The City Academy provides many sporting facilities for the community, including an all season football pitch, a fitness centre and three sports halls, all available with expert coaching and support.

The nearby Easton Leisure Centre has a swimming pool with a water chute and a gym and a sports hall.

For those who want to try their hand at martial arts, there is a Tae Kwon-Do centre on Church Road in Redfield.