Easton, Bristol

Easton
Boundaries of the city council ward.
Population	10,716 [1]
OS grid reference	ST605735
Unitary authority	Bristol
Ceremonial county	Bristol
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS
Dialling code	0117
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	Great Western
EU 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]

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 West constituency.

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]} Despite this, Easton also has a bohemian aspect and is home to many of Bristol's younger creative people, looking for affordable housing and a sense of community - a group that has been forced out by the gentrification of areas such as Bishopston, Bedminster and Hotwells in recent years.

Easton is a vibrant community with local community and pressure groups, local bands, political groups, housing and workers cooperatives and some anarchist communes. It also has three mosques, a synagogue, a Sikh temple and several churches of different denominations.

St Marks Road in northern Easton is a shopping street noted for its exuberant decoration and, like Mina Road in St Werburghs, the number of shops with sculpted shop signs hanging above their doors. There are a number of Moroccan and Indian subcontinent restaurants and shops specialising in organic and ethnic foods, further reinforcing the area's reputation as 'alternative'. The best known of these is the Bristol Sweetmart, a grocer and delicatessen that has expanded shop-by-shop over the years, its success mirroring the economic growth of the area. Its cafes also include Cafe Maitreya, one of Britain’s highest-rated vegetarian restaurants (by the Vegetarian Society 2004).

The northern Stapleton Rd area near the train station is also witnessing redevelopment and investment with a large Asian store opened in a derelict property.

Banksy

The name Banksy is synonymous with Easton. There are several Banksy 'originals' in Easton although the council inadvertently blackwashed 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.^[3]

Transport

Easton has two railway stations, Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road, which are served by trains on the Severn Beach Line plus services to and from Gloucester and South Wales. The main line to South Wales, the Midlands, Scotland and London also passes through Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road, branching away from the Severn Beach line just north of Stapleton Road Station. The M32 motorway marks the border of Easton to the north. The A4032 dual carriageway cuts the area in two.

Greenbank Cemetery

Greenbank

Greenbank lies in the north of Easton just south of Eastville. Greenbank has a gentrified air and the housing prices reflect this. Greenbank Cemetery is an oasis of calm amidst the inner city.

The residents have successfully fought against redevelopment of a closed chocolate factory into flats and houses. The Elizabeth Shaw chocolate factory was, in the eyes of local residents, a building that represented the industrial heritage of Bristol. The opposition to this redevelopment was supported by George Ferguson, whose vision turned the defunct tobacco factory in Bedminster into one of Bristol's leading venues.

Whitehall

Main article: Whitehall, Bristol

Whitehall is a mainly residential area in the east of Bristol, which lies between the Easton, Eastville and St George areas of the city.

References

1. ^ "Easton". 2001 Census Ward Information Sheet. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/WardFinder/pdfs/easton-wis.pdf. Retrieved 2007-02-21. 
2. ^ Bristol City Council. "Easton map" (PDF). Ward finder. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/WardFinder/pdfs/eastonmap-high.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-07. 
3. ^ http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~rstephen/livingeaston/art/banksy.html cems.uwe.ac.uk

External links

• Public houses in Easton
• Office for National Statistics census data
• First Great Western
• Bristol City Council regeneration
• South West of England

Coordinates: 51°27′33″N 2°34′12″W / 51.45909°N 2.56993°W / 51.45909; -2.56993