Whitehall, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Whitehall, is a district on the edge of inner Bristol
city in England
.
and has just announced its total closure. The playing field is to be fully redeveloped for sports use for the local City Academy
school.http://www.packersfield.org.uk/home.htm
and Eastville
, there are still many streets and houses from the Victorian and Edwardian eras
and in the part, adjoining St George, Bristol
is the Gordon Estate with houses that were built in 1936. This area originally consisted of market garden
s and the new estate was built on the rhubarb
patch and as a result, rhubarb was quite commonplace in many gardens.
Some houses ("villas") overlook the adjoining St. George Park and these have small balconies.
Newer houses have since been built on the former Co-op Bakery and Rose Green High School sites. There is a plaque on the original school wall, which was retained, giving some history, about John Wesley
having preached on this site.
The Parish Church of St Ambrose has undergone some change in latter years, with its vicarage being demolished and replaced by a sheltered housing scheme for older people. The church hall was refurbished as part of this and is now The Beehive Centre with day-care facilities. The Almshouses were retained and are still in use.
Whitehall Chapel has been retained and restored, but no longer for church purposes. It is now in use as offices.
The Westminster Garage and allotments on the opposite side of Whitehall Road have also disappeared and instead we see a small town housing development.
It is interesting, to note, that the 48th Bristol Scout Group
Headquarters adjacent to this development was originally sited on the new housing site. When the garage was originally redeveloped and enlarged, the garage company paid for the Scout Group to have a new building built. This replaced their 'tin hut', which had been rebuilt by the boys and their parents, after its transportation from Crofts End Mission, now Crofts End Church
. Crofts End Church were having a new church built, and so their old building moved on and had a new lease of life for many more years. Some time later the Saint Leonard
's Scout Group merged with the 48th Bristol Scout Group and they then became the 32nd Bristol (1st Whitehall) Scout Group. The patron saint of Scouting is Saint George
also, the name of an adjacent local district.
Further information on 32nd Bristol (1st Whitehall) Scout Group can be found at http://www.avonscouts.org.uk/32bristol
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...
city in 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...
.
Parks
The local green space is Whitehall Playing Fields or Packer's Ground as it was known, taking its name from the local chocolate factory - Packers. As of 2006 this company is known as Famous NamesElizabeth Shaw (Confectionery Company)
Elizabeth Shaw is the trading name of a Greenbank, Bristol based company that markets chocolate-based confectionery, which includes the internationally known brands Famous Names chocolate liqueurs and Elizabeth Shaw after dinner mints...
and has just announced its total closure. The playing field is to be fully redeveloped for sports use for the local City Academy
City Academy, Bristol
The City Academy, Bristol is a non-selective academy in Bristol, England which opened in September 2003. It forms part of the Labour government's scheme for schools in deprived areas....
school.http://www.packersfield.org.uk/home.htm
Housing
In part of the area, adjoining EastonEaston, Bristol
Easton is both the name of a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and an inner city area that lies partly within that ward. The Easton ward also contains the Whitehall and Netham areas of the city. Notable places within the ward include Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road railway...
and Eastville
Eastville, Bristol
Eastville is the name of both a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom and a suburb of the city that lies within that ward. The Eastville ward covers the areas of Eastville, Crofts End , Stapleton and part of Fishponds...
, there are still many streets and houses from the Victorian and Edwardian eras
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
and in the part, adjoining St George, Bristol
St George, Bristol
St. George is a district of Bristol, England on the edge of the inner city.- History :St George was originally outside the city boundary until about 1860. The area was once the end of the tram line from the city of Bristol, the terminus being in Beaconsfield Road.St...
is the Gordon Estate with houses that were built in 1936. This area originally consisted of market garden
Market garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
s and the new estate was built on the rhubarb
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a group of plants that belong to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. They are herbaceous perennial plants growing from short, thick rhizomes. They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular-shaped with long fleshy petioles...
patch and as a result, rhubarb was quite commonplace in many gardens.
Some houses ("villas") overlook the adjoining St. George Park and these have small balconies.
Newer houses have since been built on the former Co-op Bakery and Rose Green High School sites. There is a plaque on the original school wall, which was retained, giving some history, about John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
having preached on this site.
Shops
The shopping rank either side of Embassy Road on the Gordon Estate, once had a newsagent, a haberdasher, a grocers, a bakery, a pet shop, a green-grocer, a chemist, a hairdresser, a butcher, a toy shop and ironmonger. Many of the shops have been converted back to houses or flats, with only a newsagent and a sandwich shop remaining.Churches
Local Churches include Crofts End Church, established in 1895 by George Brown, as a Christian mission for miner's children it became known as 'The Miner's Mission' or Crofts End Mission. Still part of the local community and very much a family church its current Pastor is Andrew Yelland.The Parish Church of St Ambrose has undergone some change in latter years, with its vicarage being demolished and replaced by a sheltered housing scheme for older people. The church hall was refurbished as part of this and is now The Beehive Centre with day-care facilities. The Almshouses were retained and are still in use.
Whitehall Chapel has been retained and restored, but no longer for church purposes. It is now in use as offices.
The Westminster Garage and allotments on the opposite side of Whitehall Road have also disappeared and instead we see a small town housing development.
It is interesting, to note, that the 48th Bristol Scout Group
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
Headquarters adjacent to this development was originally sited on the new housing site. When the garage was originally redeveloped and enlarged, the garage company paid for the Scout Group to have a new building built. This replaced their 'tin hut', which had been rebuilt by the boys and their parents, after its transportation from Crofts End Mission, now Crofts End Church
Crofts End Church
Crofts End Church is a nonconformist church, located in St George, Bristol, England. The specific area in which it is located is known locally as Crofts End....
. Crofts End Church were having a new church built, and so their old building moved on and had a new lease of life for many more years. Some time later the Saint Leonard
Saint Leonard
-Saints:* Saint Leonard of Noblac * Saint Leonard of Port Maurice -Canada:* Saint-Leonard, Quebec, a former city and now a borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada* Saint Leonard, New Brunswick, Canada...
's Scout Group merged with the 48th Bristol Scout Group and they then became the 32nd Bristol (1st Whitehall) Scout Group. The patron saint of Scouting is Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
also, the name of an adjacent local district.
Further information on 32nd Bristol (1st Whitehall) Scout Group can be found at http://www.avonscouts.org.uk/32bristol
Public houses
The Kings Head public house has long been part of the Whitehall scene and was originally owned by the Parsons family. At that time there were stables attached as dray horses from George's Brewery were quite a common site on Bristol roads.See also
- Crofts End, Bristol
- St George, BristolSt George, BristolSt. George is a district of Bristol, England on the edge of the inner city.- History :St George was originally outside the city boundary until about 1860. The area was once the end of the tram line from the city of Bristol, the terminus being in Beaconsfield Road.St...
- Greenbank, BristolGreenbank, BristolGreenbank is a small informal district in the city of Bristol, England nestling between Easton to the south, Eastville to the west and north west, Fishponds, Clay Bottom and Rose Green to the north, and Whitehall to the east. It is however part of the official Easton Ward for elections...