Sea Mills was built as a designed garden suburb on land gifted and sold by the Kingsweston estate, to meet the housing crisis following the First World War. Many of those first inhabitants were soldiers and their families returning from the horror of war and escaping poor, overcrowded housing no longer fit for purpose in other parts of the city.
Competition to live here among those first residents was high. Sea Mills’ design of cottage style architecture fitting neatly within the landscape, with focal points, allotments, tennis court, recreation ground, uniform plot sizes, front hedges, tree line streets and views to the landscape beyond has won praise over the century with John Betjeman calling it ‘that magic estate’ in 1937.
In the eighties it became one of the first council estates in the country to become a conservation area which was later extended following the successful ‘Save Sea Mills Garden Suburb’ Campaign.
As this is supposed to be the garden suburb
Don’t people think that there should be something done about the disgusting gardens that are in the area. A part for the rubbish it is also increasing the number of rats and foxes.
If there is to be celebration which may include the press or television that they won’t notice the rubbish.
Sea Mills is indeed a product of the garden suburb movement. It’s one of the things we hope to be looking into so that we can include information about it in the phone box mini-museum. Some local volunteers will be starting work on that this weekend weather permitting.
We are also working with the Community Allotment, Sea Mills Garden Club and the Flower Flower to promote gardening and growing and showcase some of our fantastic local gardens by having an open gardens event during the year.
Other community events include Sunflower growing and a litter pick. So there will be loads for you to get involved with to do positive things in your neighbourhood as a result of Sea Mills 100.
When were the prefabs built? My parents and myself (born 26/08/1945) were among the first to move into a property on the front row. What would the rent have been in 1945? We lived there and my brother Nick (born 23 July 1947) and my sister Jane (13 Feb 1950) upon which the lack of room necessitated da move to a new house in Lawrence Weston Rd in Lawrence Weston, another new estate.
See questions above