Hillfields Homes for Heroes

Local Learning were delighted to have secured funding from Arts Council, Heritage Lottery, Heritage Schools and Bristol City Council for our Hillfields, Homes for Heroes project, marking the centenary of Addison’s post-World War 1 Housing Act.

Hillfields has the first Addison Act council houses built in Bristol. The design of these houses was the result of an architectural competition and went on to define the homes we see in many areas of Bristol from Southmead to Knowle.

Since 2019, Local Learning have been working with the community to raise awareness of the significance of Hillfields in the creation of modern housing for all citizens of Bristol.

The postponed Hillfields Homes for Heroes celebratory event took place as an interactive heritage trail on Saturday 26th June, 2021. A photo gallery from the day can be seen on our events page and we have created a story map that presents the audio and newspaper tour from the day.

A project booklet was given away free on the day and is available from Hillfields Library.

Films created by UWE Architecture Masters students for the Hillfields Winter Trail 2020 activities at Minerva Primary School

Further information about the project and the story of Hillfields is available by clicking the images below.

Hillfields Homes for Heroes was just one of several city wide projects to celebrate the centenary of the Housing Act as part of the Festival of Ideas Homes For Heroes 100 project.

Image at top of the page, illustration by Samuel Loxton of houses on Thicket Avenue under construction in 1920, courtesy of Bristol Reference Library, X1781