Bristol suburb of Southmead pictured in decades past in 13 old photos
Even in the past few years the area has changed - but what was it like decades ago?
A suburb in the north of Bristol, Southmead is known across the city as home to the sprawling Southmead Hospital site. The old infirmary was first built in 1924, meaning this is its 100th year.
The wider Southmead residential area expanded in the 1930s with 1,500 houses, built to rehouse people displaced by inner-city slum clearances. After the Second World War, 1,100 houses were built, with the two developments still known locally as the ‘new estate’ and the ‘old estate’.
These days Southmead has its own high street, Arnside Road, which has received major investment from Bristol City Council along with Glencoyne Square. Take a look at the old photos below to see how the area has changed:
This gallery was first published in April 2023 and has been updated for 2024
Southmead Hospital pictured in 1915
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Nick Gregson with his disco at Southmead Youth Centre in the 1960s
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The baptist church on Charfield Road was targeted by vandals in 1993
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Another image of the church in Southmead when it was vandalised in 1993
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