Brentry

Brentry
Brentry
Brentry shown within Bristol
OS grid reference ST577792
Unitary authority
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BRISTOL
Postcode district BS
Dialling code 0117
Police Avon and Somerset
Fire Avon
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK Parliament

Brentry is a suburb of north Bristol, England, between Henbury and Southmead which is spread along the southern edge of the Avonmouth-London railway line.

The boundaries of Brentry are not well defined.[1] The settlement grew around the junction of two roads, where a public house, the Old Crow, has long been established. The north-south road, Passage Road (now the A4018), was a turnpike road from Bristol to South Wales via New Passage or the Old Passage at Aust Ferry. When the new Filton By-Pass (now part of the M5 motorway) was opened in 1962,[2] the route became an arterial road linking the new road to the centre of Bristol. The east-west route (B4057) is now of only local importance, but in the 1930s it carried A38 traffic by-passing Bristol. The through route was cut by the runway for the giant Bristol Brabazon aircraft built in 1949.

The area east of the junction was developed in the 20th century, and Brentry is now sometimes considered to extend as far as the Filton Golf Course, south of Filton Aerodrome, including an area east of Charlton Road known as Charlton Mead, named from the former hamlet of Charlton.

Brentry has a mix of high-quality private housing and good former council housing. It has a well-respected primary school.[3]

Pen Park Hole is a large cavern, to which access is strictly limited, near Brentry at the edge of Filton Golf Course.

Brentry Hospital

Brentry House, one of the hospital buildings

Brentry was once well known for its hospital, founded in 1898 as the Brentry Certified Inebriate Reformatory. In 1922 it became an institution for the mentally ill, and was renamed Brentry Certified Institution. It was renamed the Brentry Colony in 1930.[4][1] In 1948, under the National Health Service, it became Brentry Hospital. It closed in 2000.[5]

Brentry House, a grade II listed building built in 1802, was used as the administration building for Brentry Hospital. This building was designed by James and Humphry Repton. Now known as Repton Hall, it has been converted into residential apartments.[6]

The hospital site now forms a major component of the Brentry Conservation Area.[7] The grounds are Grade II listed by English Heritage in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[8]

Industry

Brentry is a predominantly residential area. There are however pockets of industry and commerce namely Charlton Road, Charlton Lane and Wyck Beck Road. A former hospital laundry site just off Charlton Road now sees the Pieminister Pie Factory.[9] On Charlton Road there is a typical row of shops with a hairdresser, convenience grocery store and take-aways.[10] On Wyck Beck Road there is a car repair garage,[11] blue glass retailer[12] and car hire business.[13]

The closest major commercial and industrial hubs are Avonmouth Docks where there is light and heavy industry. Cribbs Causeway is the nearest major retail hub. There are also major employment sites in nearby Filton where a significant regional aerospace presence can be found.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Psychiatric hospital was built during Victorian times". Bristol Post. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  2. ↑ The Motorway Archive, M5 J8 to J22 Archived 16 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Brentry Primary School
  4. ↑ J. Jancar (1987). "The History of Mental Handicap in Bristol and Bath" (PDF). Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Glenside Museum website Archived 3 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Historic England. "Repton Hall, Charlton Road  (Grade II) (1202057)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Brentry Conservation Area, Bristol Local Plan" (PDF). Bristol City Council. 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Historic England. "Royal Victoria Park (formerly Brentry House)  (Grade II) (1000360)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Pieminister". 192. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  10. ↑ "Charlton Road". Bristol.org. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  11. ↑ "Beaufort Motor Co.Ltd". Yell. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  12. ↑ "Bristol Blue Glass (Henbury) Limited". 192. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "Bristol North Car & Van Hire". Enterprise. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  14. ↑ "Welcome". Filton Town Council. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
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