One of Bristol northernmost suburbs, Horfield is particularly popular with younger people and families with children. The area was famously home to Hollywood star Cary Grant, who was born here in 1904, and it has numerous pubs and open green spaces to tempt the budget-conscious renter.
Semi-detached and terraced properties dominate here. If you’re looking to buy in Horfield you can expect to pay on average £280,000-300,000 (based on Zoopla estimates). Rent is competitively priced compared to the rest of the city, and you could expect to let out a two-bed flat for around £850 per month, or a three-bed house for £1,230.
Getting around
Horfield’s main route into Bristol is the shop-lined Gloucester Road, although you can cut across to the M32 in the east if you wish to avoid the worst congestion and pedestrian traffic. Several buses connect Horfield to the city centre, as well as to the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre and Aztec West business park in the north. Horfield’s nearest train station is Filton Abbey Wood, from where you can get trains to Cardiff and Weston-Super-Mare.
Amenities
Horfield is served by a number of schools, both primary and secondary, and on average more Horfield students achieve five A*-C grades than elsewhere in Bristol. The area is also located very close to the University of the West of England’s Frenchay campus and Southmead Hospital, making Horfield particularly popular for student living.
The area has quite a few fascinating churches, including the main parish church, Holy Trinity, which is believed to have been founded in 603 AD. Horfield is also filled with green spaces, perfect for families with children. Horfield Common not only boasts a pond, bowling green and tennis courts, but also the not-for-profit Cafe on the Common, a children’s playground and plenty of space for walking and running. For green-fingered residents, the Horfield and Districts Allotments Association offers land for growing your favourite fruit and veg.
Events
Horfield plays host to a number of interesting events each year. In springtime, you can see the Jack in the Green, a volunteer dressed in foliage who joins a noisy parade through the streets of Bristol and ends up at Horfield Common to release the spirit of summer. For young families, the Ardagh Pavilion holds weekly meetings of the Ardagh Toddlers, a friendly group of local families who meet up to play, craft and socialise.
The Horfield Organic Community Orchard also holds events throughout the year, including a new year’s wassail (drinking to the health of the trees during the upcoming year), a summer open day, and an Apple Day in October featuring juice pressing and fruit tasting!
Things to do
Sport-lovers will have plenty to keep them occupied in Horfield. The state-of-the-art Horfield Leisure Centre includes a 25-metre swimming pool, high-tech gym and over 150 group classes per week in everything from yoga to cycling. If watching sport is more your style, the Memorial Stadium hosts football fixtures for Bristol Rovers as well as school clubs. In fact, the stadium hosts other events such as quiz nights and cabaret nights too!
For foodies, Horfield also offers a fantastic selection of restaurants, pubs and bars. From traditional pub food to curry houses, takeaways to beer gardens, if you want to tuck into a tasty dinner or linger over a pint, you’ll be spoiled for choice in Horfield. And even when you’ve exhausted the local venues, you’ll still have all the culinary delights of nearby Gloucester Road to explore.
If you’re thinking of renting or letting in Horfield, please contact Gough Quarters for more information.
Image sources:
Horfield Common by Linda Bailey [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Horfield Church by Rwendland (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Jack in the Green by Richard Toller via Flickr, Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License
Horfield Leisure Centre by hopeless128 via Flickr, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License
