Lodge Hill, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Lodge Hill is a hill and residential area of Bristol
, England
. It separates the large outer urban areas of Fishponds and Kingswood
, and Cossham Memorial Hospital
at its peak is the highest point in Bristol at 369 ft (112 m). It has a population of 1,709 (est).
of Kingswood, known to have been used by kings for hunting since Saxon
times. Reached by Lodge Causeway
at the top of the hill once stood King John’s
Lodge or Kingswood Lodge, named after its most famous resident. A lodge is thought to have existed since the 13th century, certainly a two-storey building existed before 1610. During the mid-to-late 19th century an old iron smelting tower was incorporated into the building and it was known as Kingswood Castle, by now a substantial building with castellated roof lines. At one time is was used as a windmill
and in 1928 the cellar still contained the vault of the original tower which had very thick walls and an underground passage which led to Hill House, overlooking Staple Hill. It was pulled down soon afterwards.
The area around Lodge Hill was studded by coalpits, where the deepest was reported as 600 ft (183 m) deep in 1793. A large coalpit known as the Kingswood Lodge Coalpit once existing on the hill between Cossham Memorial Hospital and Charlton Road. On 11 Apr 1833, five boys were rescued there after being trapped for six nights. The pit, belonging to Messrs. Brain & Co had an even more serious incident six years later when 11 workers died after water flooded the pit.
on Lodge Road served the area, and wes known for its live music but has been closed. GB Britton’s Lawn bowling Club still exists on Ingleside Road, and the small park abreast Lodge Hill has great views of East Bristol.
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It separates the large outer urban areas of Fishponds and Kingswood
Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
Kingswood is an urban area in South Gloucestershire, England, bordering the City of Bristol to the west. It is located on both sides of the A420 road, which connects Bristol and Chippenham and which forms the high street through the principal retail zone...
, and Cossham Memorial Hospital
Cossham Memorial Hospital
Cossham Memorial Hospital is a community hospital in the Kingswood area of Bristol.The services provided, by North Bristol Primary Care Trust at Cossham include outpatients and physiotherapy...
at its peak is the highest point in Bristol at 369 ft (112 m). It has a population of 1,709 (est).
Early history
Lodge Hill once had commanding views of the Royal ForestRoyal 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...
of Kingswood, known to have been used by kings for hunting since Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. Reached by Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway
Lodge Causeway is an ancient passage through the former Royal Forest of Kingswood and now the main road between Fishponds and Kingswood in Bristol, England...
at the top of the hill once stood King John’s
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
Lodge or Kingswood Lodge, named after its most famous resident. A lodge is thought to have existed since the 13th century, certainly a two-storey building existed before 1610. During the mid-to-late 19th century an old iron smelting tower was incorporated into the building and it was known as Kingswood Castle, by now a substantial building with castellated roof lines. At one time is was used as a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
and in 1928 the cellar still contained the vault of the original tower which had very thick walls and an underground passage which led to Hill House, overlooking Staple Hill. It was pulled down soon afterwards.
The area around Lodge Hill was studded by coalpits, where the deepest was reported as 600 ft (183 m) deep in 1793. A large coalpit known as the Kingswood Lodge Coalpit once existing on the hill between Cossham Memorial Hospital and Charlton Road. On 11 Apr 1833, five boys were rescued there after being trapped for six nights. The pit, belonging to Messrs. Brain & Co had an even more serious incident six years later when 11 workers died after water flooded the pit.
Shoe manufacturing
In 1900 G.B. Britton & Sons, left their original premises in Waters Road, Kingswood, and set up a larger factory on Lodge Road. In 1914 the factory was further expanded to provide army boots in the First World War and at its peak just before the Second World War employed 11,000 people. In 1941, the factory on Lodge road was requisitioned by the Ministry of Aircraft Production to built aircraft components. Boot and shoe manufacturing resumed in 1945 and included the TUF boot exported and manufactured widely overseas leading to a second factory on Lodge Road built in 1959. Manufacturing ended and the factory finally shut in 2001, under the ownership of the UK Safe group who have relocated the sales and operations elsewhere in Bristol.Pubs and facilities
The Chequers public housePublic 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...
on Lodge Road served the area, and wes known for its live music but has been closed. GB Britton’s Lawn bowling Club still exists on Ingleside Road, and the small park abreast Lodge Hill has great views of East Bristol.