The area outside Bristol that some people love to hate

In a recent Tik Tok video young people were asked: “where is the worst place to live in Bristol?” And many called the South Gloucestershire town Kingswood.

While one youth gave Chasers nightclub as the reason he dislikes the area, others simply said: “It’s shit.” But what is the borough – soon to become part of the new Bristol North East constituency – really like?

Although the area benefits from regular buses to Bristol city centre, the high street has a selection of shops, places to eat and several banks. A local has moved back into what he describes as “a wonderful community,” and while some of the new small businesses believe the area is thriving, others say it’s getting worse.

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Carly Morrish, who has been shopping at Kingswood’s indoor market since she was a child, set up her own small business there three months ago. Carly’s new yarn shop, Yarn and Yarage, isn’t the only new business to open in the area recently.

Upstairs there is a new cafe called The Market Cafe Lounge, which opened last month after Warmly Bakehouse closed. Owner Ben Fortune decided to move his bakery to Kingswood’s Indoor Market.

As well as the new independent businesses, there is a B&M store due to open in Kings Chase Shopping Center and a large furniture store now open on the High Street. Along with several charity shops, the area has a huge library of things, where you can borrow a wide range of items including gardening and DIY tools.

Carly said: “Kingswood is thriving. We have a really nice community here, people are really excited to see some hope because there has been a lot of negativity and doom about Kingswood.

“Like everywhere, it’s about having that pride around you and taking full responsibility for their little slice. I have this little slice of colorful heaven behind the market and I just love seeing people happy.”

While the old indoor market has seen some recent changes, some of the businesses have been there for over 30 years. John Pickford, who has been selling fishing equipment for the past nine years, said the cost of living had caused some challenges, with everything going up after Brexit.

John lives in Downend and enjoys working in Kingswood and has become friends with some of his customers over the years, some even joining him on fishing trips. But overall, he believes Kingswood has gotten worse in recent years.

“A lot of the young kids have now grown up to be the ones who hang out on street corners in gangs and that’s brought the area down,” John said.

Although he has never experienced any trouble in the area, he said he “feels up in the air sometimes” and believes there should be a greater police presence.

Mother-of-two Anna Rushton, who has lived in the area for the past six years, does not believe anti-social behavior is a big problem in the area. “It has its sketchy evening elements, but overall it’s pretty quiet in my experience.

“There are criminals just like everywhere. Kingswood gets a lot of stick, but it sure has charm. It has beauty spots nearby such as the Magpie Bottom and pubs with good food such as the Rose & Crown. And the primary schools are good,” she added.

Although Anna has grown to like Kingswood, she admits that accessibility and public transport links were the deciding factors when she bought her home. “The High Street has gone into decline in recent years, but it seems to be a trend everywhere.

“Like most Kingswood residents, I imagine, I’d rather live down the road in Hanham or St George. But it’s not that bad compared to your average city,” she added.

A local who grew up in the area said he liked the community so much he decided to move back. Faye Morgana, who is a support worker for adults with learning difficulties, believes people are friendlier and more accepting in Kingswood compared to other areas.

She said: “I can bring my clients here because it’s affordable and the people are generally friendly and they pay attention to my clients and are friendly with them. I think people with learning disabilities can be left out sometimes and everyone here seems very accepting and understanding and I never run into people here who don’t understand where I will be in other areas.

“I moved around a little bit, but I’m back because it’s just a great community to be a part of. You have everything you need very close.

“It’s a bit run down and needs a bit of love, but I think things are slowly getting better. There are people working on it now and I think it will get better. It’s not just how it looks, it’s how it feels.”

Faye said that while she had heard people talking about anti-social behavior in the evening, it was not something she had encountered herself, but she doesn’t drink alcohol so she doesn’t tend to go out late at night.