Construction of Brookridge House and the identical Barlands House nearby began in 1963. Each block of 15-storey flats has more than 80 homes.
The pair of flats off Crow Lane are one of the best known modern landmarks of Henbury, which can trace its history back more than 1000 years.
The nave and lower tower of St Mary’s Church in Henbury date from around 1200 – photo: Martin Booth
Henbury was a village in Gloucestershire before being consumed by the growing city of Bristol, and much of its history remains to this day.
St Mary’s Church in the picture postcard Church Close is at the centre of Henbury parish, the largest in the Bristol diocese.
By Martin Booth, Monday Mar 15, 2021
In days gone by, ships sailing up the River Avon towards Bristol would unload their cargo of gunpowder in two sheds built next to the river in Shirehampton.
The ammunition was stored here so that it would not accidentally ignite when in Bristol’s docks, with a private home known as the Powder House now within the Grade II-listed late 18th century stone jetty and sheds.
Nowadays, most large ships no longer choose to make their way up the Avon. Instead, cargo is unloaded in Avonmouth, where the creation of a freeport – a key platform of WECA mayor Tim Bowles – was earlier this month roundly ignored by Rishi Sunak in the Budget.