Bishopston is an inner-suburb and council ward in north Bristol, situated on the Gloucester Road, which is the main northern arterial road in the city. The ward includes St Bonaventures and Ashley Down parishes.
Bishopston is twinned with the district of KV Kuppam in Tamilnadu, India and is so named after the bishop of the local diocese who controversially sold off the churchs land to private developers in the early 1800s.
The district is part of the Bristol built-up area, having been swallowed by the growing city, running directly into the surrounding districts of Redland, Ashley Down, Horfield and Henleaze.
Some of the location filming for the cult BBC sitcom The Young Ones was done in Codrington Road and elsewhere. The external shots for the famous "bank-robbing" scene in the last episode were filmed outside Bristol North Swimming Baths on Gloucester Road.
Sadly the Bristol North Pool is no longer in use; it closed in late 2005 but the new Horfield Leisure Centre and Pool is only a few minutes away.
Bishopston was the home of two Nobel Prize winning physicists. In 1933 Paul Dirac, who attended the Bishop Road Primary School just a few hundred metres from where he lived on Monk Road, won the prize after his contributions to quantum mechanics.
In 1950 Cecil Frank Powell won the prestigious award for contributions to Physics. Specifically, for his development of the photographic method of studying nuclear processes.
The main route through Bishopston and then Horfield is the Gloucester Road. It is well known for its pubs and restaurants, and was cited on a BBC Radio 4 phone-in as an example of a high street that still retained its character and a high proportion of independently-owned small shops. This, and the range of fairly traded and local goods available, has made it popular with ecologically-minded shoppers.
Shops that are definitely worth a visit are Pawsons Greengrocer, Daltons Butchers, and Joes Bakery, (you have to try their almond croissants).
Great pubs to visit include The Prince of Wales, (legendary Sunday lunches) the Robins Hood’s Retreat (a good varied menu), and Halo Bar (quality live music).
Excellent places to eat include Ciao Burger, the Bishopston Fish Bar (despite the long wait) and Bistro La Barrique (great food and a cracking wine list).
Bishopston is also home to the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and the County Ground is on Nevil Road. Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is the most successful English one-day side in the last 10 years, and has won 7 domestic trophies in the last 5 years.
Recently the County Ground has seen an increase in capacity and has held both International One Day Series and International Twenty20 cricket matches bringing very large crowds to the area during the summer.
Houses for sale in Bishopston includes single houses, apartments and flats and cover a range of styles and prices. There are a few homes for sale in Bishopston and available properties in the area are comprised mostly of terrace homes and flats. Properties in Bishopston also provide easy access to shopping areas, employment and educational opportunities.