Living in Frenchay, Bristol

Frenchay is quite hard to describe because it is really made up of several very different areas, and the character can change noticeably from one road to the next.

At the centre is Frenchay Village and the area around Frenchay Common. This is the part most people probably picture when they think of Frenchay: old cottages, Georgian and other character properties, mature trees, narrow lanes and a large open green space at the Common. In places it feels surprisingly rural for somewhere so close to Bristol. On a quiet day you could almost imagine being in a village in the Cotswolds or the Yorkshire Dales rather than a few miles from the city centre.

The Common itself is a big part of what gives Frenchay its identity. It is surrounded by some lovely older houses, with more period and character properties on the roads leading off it. This is probably the most distinctive part of the area and one of the reasons people become attached to Frenchay.

Not all of Frenchay looks like this, though. Around Malmains Drive there is a large 1960s estate, with flat-roofed blocks of flats as well as terraced and semi-detached houses. It has a very recognisable 1960s style which was fashionable when it was built. Some people really like the architecture and others do not, but it is certainly very different from the older village just a short distance away.

Riverwood is different again. It is a very sought-after estate, built in a distinctive and fairly uniform light-coloured stone, which gives the whole development a particular look. Detached houses there can sell for more than £1 million, which gives some idea of how desirable that part of Frenchay has become. Despite the prices, it does not feel especially flashy. It is mainly a quiet, established residential area with plenty of greenery and a strong family feel.

The newer Redrow development along Bristol Road has added another completely different style of housing. It is much more modern and has changed the appearance and population of that part of Frenchay quite significantly. The development has not been without controversy locally, with planning issues and tensions about the scale of development, traffic, infrastructure and the effect on the existing community.

Begbrook adds another side to the area, with a mixture of social and privately owned housing. Again, it feels quite different from both the old village and some of the more expensive parts of Frenchay.

That is really the thing about Frenchay: you cannot judge the whole place from one road. In the space of a few minutes you can go from Georgian houses and old cottages around the Common, to 1960s housing, modern new-builds and very expensive detached homes. Some parts are exceptionally attractive, while others are much more ordinary, and anyone thinking of moving here really needs to look at the particular part of Frenchay rather than just the postcode.

Location is one of its big advantages. It is not far from Bristol city centre, the M32 is close by, Aztec West is convenient for people working in North Bristol and Bristol Parkway is within easy reach for trains to London and elsewhere.

For all its contrasts, Frenchay is a very special part of Bristol. It is not one uniform picture-postcard village, and pretending that it is would be misleading. But the older parts in particular have a character that is difficult to find this close to the city, and the combination of history, green space, different types of housing and good connections gives the area a character of its own.