Sixty Acres

When I first remember 60 acres it was largely people's home built mostly of wood one storey houses. Plots of land had been given by the Smyth family of Ashton Court to servicemen returning from the 'Great War' (1914-18) with room for a dwelling and space to grow enough vegetables to feed a family. Lady Smyth is long dead but her legacy lives on in many ways. She did not wish to see a house from Ashton Court and as the family owned a great deal of Bedminster and Ashton Vale she could so dictate and Bristol sprawled Eastwards between WW1 and WW2. Requirements that 'only agriculture' be carried out on some of the land that was sold have been got around and we are in danger of losing that legacy. On sixty acres not many of the plots could sustain a family now but those in receipt of the original largese have done very well and the community has thrived. The density of houses is far greater than might originally have been expected but walking round it is an interesting mix of house size and styles that suggests that some development can be interesting and practical. It is certainly not an area of 'little boxes without topses ' and has a character all it's own.