Redland, Bristol facts for kids
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Redland is a lively neighbourhood in Bristol, England. It sits between other areas like Clifton, Cotham, Bishopston, and Westbury Park. The exact borders of Redland can be a bit tricky to define. Generally, it's thought to be bordered by Whiteladies Road to the west, the Severn Beach railway line to the south, and Cranbrook Road to the east.
Redland is mostly a place where people live. It's also very popular with students from the city's university, especially those in their second and third years. Compared to other parts of Bristol, Redland generally has better living conditions. It has less poverty, higher school success, and people tend to live longer. More people also own their homes and cars here.
Redland is also the name of a local government area called a council ward. This ward covers a slightly different area than the neighbourhood itself. For example, the Redland ward includes the southern part of Bishopston. However, it does not include the part of Redland that is south of Redland Road, which is in the Cotham ward.
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Discovering Redland's Past
The name Redland has an interesting history, with a few different ideas about where it came from. Some people think it was called Rudeland in the 11th century. This might come from an old English word meaning "cleared land."
Another idea is that it was mentioned in 1209 as Thriddeland. This could mean "the third part of an estate." A third idea suggests that in 1230, it was called Rubea Terra, which means "red earth" in Latin. Later, it was known as la Rede Londe, likely because of the red colour of the soil in the area.
For many centuries, Redland was part of the large Westbury-on-Trym parish in Gloucestershire. It became its own separate civil parish in 1894. Then, in 1896, it officially became part of Bristol.
In 1732, a man named John Cossins bought the Redland estate. He built a grand house called Redland Court in a Classical style. This house replaced an older manor house. The estate was later sold in 1865, and then many new homes were built in the area.
Churches and Architecture
Redland is famous for its beautiful Georgian parish church, Redland Chapel. It was built in 1742 as a private chapel for Redland Court, the local manor house. It didn't become a public church until 1790.
When the parish of Redland separated from Westbury-on-Trym in 1942, this chapel became the main parish church. It's unusual because it doesn't have a specific patron saint it's named after. This church is a very important historical building, listed as Grade I.
Other churches in the area have also changed over time. The Swedenborgian church on Cranbrook Road, built in 1899, has now closed and been turned into homes. Trinity United Reformed Church, also on Cranbrook Road, has also been converted into houses. St Catherine's church on Salisbury Road, built in 1898, closed in the 1950s and is now housing.
Redland Park United Reformed Church and Tyndale Baptist Church are both on Whiteladies Road. Both were badly damaged during the Bristol Blitz in 1940 but were later rebuilt.
Most buildings in Redland show off Georgian style. However, you can also find some Victorian buildings and a few from the mid-1900s. Redland Court itself, built between 1732 and 1735, is a Grade II* listed building. Many other individual houses in Redland also have Grade II or II* listings, showing their historical importance.
Schools in Redland
Redland has several schools for young people. Redland Green School is a secondary school that opened in 2007. It also includes the secondary campus of Claremont Special School. Bristol Steiner School is another school located in the ward.
In the past, Redland was home to Redland High School, an independent girls' school. In 2017, it joined with The Red Maids' School to create Redmaids' High School. St Bonaventure's Catholic Primary School and Bishop Road Primary School are also in the Redland ward.
Getting Around Redland
The southern part of Redland has its own train station, Redland railway station, which is on the Severn Beach line. This makes it easy to travel by train.
Buses also serve Redland. The 72a bus service, run by First West of England, travels from Bristol Temple Meads to the University of the West of England's Frenchay Campus. It goes through Redland Road and Blackboy Hill. The Stagecoach service 77 also runs through Cranbrook Road, connecting Bristol bus station to Thornbury.
Fun Local Events
Every May, a fun event called the Redland Fair is held on Redland Green. It's also known as the Redland May Fair or simply the May fair. This takes place on the May Day bank holiday and is a popular local tradition.
