Easton, Bristol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (December 2007) |
 |
This article or section is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising which would require a fundamental rewrite in order to become encyclopedic for speedy deletion, using {{db-spam}}. (March 2008) |
| Easton | |
|
|
|
| Population | 10,716[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Unitary authority | Bristol |
| Ceremonial county | Bristol |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS |
| Dialling code | 0117 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Bristol West |
| List of places: UK • England • 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 stations and the City Academy. The Bristol & Bath Railway Path also passes through the ward.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Easton
Easton is an inner city area of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Informally the area is considered to stretch east of Bristol city centre and the M32 motorway, centred around Lawrence Hill. Its southern and eastern borders are less defined, merging into St Philips Marsh and Eastville. The area includes the Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill estates.
In administrative terms, Easton comprises the electoral wards of Easton and part of Lawrence Hill. It is located within the Bristol East constituency.
[edit] Demographics
The Census 2001 reports Easton has a younger average age than that of England and Wales, and that around 35% of the population is of Black or Asian origin. This figure rises towards Lawrence Hill.[citation needed]
Easton is one of the most deprived areas in the South West of England, with the Lawrence Hill ward the most deprived ward in the region and one of the most deprived in Britain. This has resulted in the area being granted European Union objective 2 status and 'New Deal for Communities' status by the UK government which is only granted to the most underprivileged urban wards.[citation needed]
British crime statistics do not go to ward level, but the general perception in Bristol is that Easton has a high crime rate, especially in relation to knife, violent crime and robberies.[citation needed]
Back in the early twentieth century people living outside the areas of Lawrence Hill and Easton were fearful of travelling to these areas as they were afraid of being robbed. Moving ahead in time however, Easton continues to be part of a thriving diverse multi-cultural community with many arts and political activities.
Despite these problems (or perhaps because of them), Easton is a vibrant community with many local community and pressure groups, local bands, political groups, housing and workers cooperatives and some anarchist communes. It also has three separate Mosques, a Synagogue, a Sikh Temple and several churches of different denominations. In the northern part of Easton, market research information also confirms perceptions of higher than average current affairs interests, high rates of those educated to degree level and higher rates than average of those working in the public sector.
St Marks Road in northern Easton includes one of Britain’s highest rated Vegetarian restaurants (by the British Vegetarian Society 2004), as well as Moroccan and Indian sub continent restaurants and shops like the Bristol Sweetmart specialising in organic and ethnic foods, further reinforcing the area's reputation as 'alternative'. The northern Stapleton Rd area near the train station is also witnessing redevelopment and investment with a large Asian store "Masala Bazaar" soon to open in a long derelict property, and a new vegetarian bakery "Breadolution" just opened.
[edit] Street Parties
Easton is also the street party capital of Europe with more street parties per annum than anywhere else. The two major street parties are held on St Marks Road and Stapleton Road annually during the summer months.
[edit] Banksy
The name Banksy is synonymous with Easton. There are several Banksy 'originals' in Easton although the council have conspired to blackwash one and another has had a tin of paint thrown over it. This was possibly done in response to the house that the art was attached to being sold as a piece of Banksy graffiti with a house thrown in for free.
[edit] Transport
Easton has two local railway stations, Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road, which are served by trains on the Severn Beach Line plus occasional services to and from Gloucester or South Wales, but which lie on the main line to South Wales, the Midlands, Scotland and London. The M32 motorway marks the border of Easton to the north. The A4320 dual carriageway also cuts the area in two.
[edit] Greenbank
Greenbank lies in the north of Easton just south of Eastville. Greenbank boasts a gentrified air and the housing prices reflect this. The cemetery is an oasis of calm amidst the noise and stress of the inner city. The recently closed chocolate factory is the hot political potato of the moment and residents successfully fought the case against redevelopment into small flats and houses of the chocolate factory. The Elizabeth Shaw chocolate factory was, in the eyes of local residents, a building that represented the industrial heritage of Greenbank and indeed Bristol. The opposition to this redevelopment was also supported by George Ferguson, whose vision turned a defunct tobacco factory in Bedminster into one of Bristol's leading venues.
[edit] Whitehall
Whitehall is a mainly residential area in the east of Bristol, which lies between the Easton, Eastville and St George areas of the city.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Public Houses in Easton
- Office for National Statistics Census data
- First Great Western
- Bristol City Council Regeneration
- South West of England
|
|||||||
