The sale of the Stanbridge estate
ONE hundred years ago Downend was a relatively small village community on the outskirts of Bristol.
There were a few big houses (notably Cleeve Hill House), two churches, a handful of pubs, a school, a cricket ground and a few clusters of cottages built for agricultural workers and quarrymen.
Newly built Victorian villas lined North Street and Downend Road. All this was surrounded by countryside in the care of local estate owners and farmers, and consisted of pasture, arable land, market gardens and orchards.
In the 1920s the manor house and estate of Cleeve Hill, belonging to the Cave family, was sold off in parcels to developers. Cleeve Hill House was sadly demolished, and the building of homes in Downend began in earnest.
New homes began to spring up following the sale of the old Cave estate, and over the next 20 years, Downend grew rapidly as a desirable suburb of Bristol.
The Second World War dramatically curtailed domestic building, but other landowners, including farmers, were keen to profit from the sale of parcels of land for housing.
One such farm belonged to Mrs Gerrish of Stanbridge House, and covered a large area bounded by Westerleigh Road, Stanbridge Road, Northcote Road and Blackhorse Road. It included Hoopers Farmhouse and outbuildings on Blackhorse Road.
The land was put up for auction at the Grand Hotel in Bristol on July 27, 1944, and was divided into five lots.
It sold for an undisclosed sum to building developers, and now forms a substantial part of the post-war housing development of Downend and Mangotsfield.
A map produced for the sale shows how the land was divided up.
Lot 1
was a parcel of land later used to build Stanbridge Primary School and later Stanbridge Court Flats, when Stanbridge House was demolished. The quarry can still be seen from the road.
Lot 2
became Royal Road, Graham Road and Barley Close Primary School. The handsome Victorian villa which belonged to the Gerrish family at 120 Northcote Road still stands, minus the outbuildings behind.
Lot 3
formed the basis of East View, Brook Road and Stanbridge Close.
Lot 4
is now home to Stockwell Drive and Cherry Grove.
Lot 5
is now Springleaze and Springfield Park Playing fields.
I have looked for any remains of Hoopers Farm but cannot see any from the road or on maps. Does anyone know of any buildings remaining?
To contact Downend Community History and Art Project (CHAP), visit the website at www.downendchap.org, email big.gin@yahoo.com or write to CHAP, 49 Overnhill Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 5DS. Jenny Alcock