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Gilbert Road, BRISTOL, BS15 1RE

A walkway leading up to the multistorey car park at the shopping centre.

Perhaps inspired by Liz Hurley's claim that six raisins constitutes a snack, Sainsbury's in Kingswood seems to be taking the notion to extremes. One shudders to think of the environmental consequences of the packaging required.

Kingswood was a cradle of Methodism in the past. With the Wesley brothers and George Whitfield leading a new approach to worship, a new church was built in the area in 1741. With the growth of the movement it was decided to build a new church nearby: Henry Masters was chosen to design this interesting Congregational Church, which opened in 1851. It featured two (liturgical) towers, capped with open octagonal spires with canopied arcades. Sadly, the structures became fragile and the east tower has had to be removed. Furthermore, the church was struck by an arson attack and the congregations declined to the point that the church closed in 1983. The Grade II listed church became lost and forgotten until it was revived in the early twenty-first century when a property firm took on the challenge to convert it into residences. It now has nineteen flats and there are plans to create three new houses close by.

This part of Kingswood is richly endowed with the origins of Methodism. With the Wesley brothers and George Whitfield starting the move away from traditional church in the eighteenth century, a tabernacle was built in 1741 and Masters church (in the backdrop) in 1851 close by. The space between the two historic churches was used as a graveyard. Sadly as the Tabernacle and Masters churches have suffered neglect and arson after their services were ended, the graves have been neglected too. In recent years the two listed buildings have been given a new lease of life and there are plans to turn the graveyard into a pocket park, leaving some forty burials in place.

The history of King's Wood dates back to Saxon times as a royal forest. - o OO o - "A Barbarous And Ungovernable People - A Short History Of The Miners Of The Kingswood Forest" Read more about it in: http://www.brh.org.uk/publications.html#p11 "In the 18th century Kingswood was a small coal mining village where George Whitefield's open-air preaching greatly influenced John Wesley in the founding of Methodism." The above was copied from: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/kingswood/Aardman-help-animate-Kingswood-history/article-1296592-detail/article.html

The historic Whitfield Tabernacle is one of the most important churches in Britain and is Grade I listed. It was founded in 1741 as the new church for the emerging Methodist movement. George Whitfield was the noted preacher along with John Cennick; the site was used for worship and school education. Many people were concerned at the state of Anglican worship and formed different opinions as to how the church should reach the masses. These Non-Conformists started to hold open air services, featuring theatrical sermons and much hymn singing; most of the gathered crowds were of poor status and often in hard-working jobs, such as the coal mining that Kingswood became noted for. As it was, the Whitfield Tabernacle is considered one of the most significant churches in Britain - as well as being the most at risk. Following its closure, there was a terrible fire (an arson attack) that almost completely destroyed it. Now, having been bought by the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust, a charitable trust set up in 2017 by local people with the aim of saving the building to conserve its historical significance and offering a community space.

The Whitfield Tabernacle is a Grade I listed church, founded in 1741 and the place of worship where George Whitfield preached the new method of religion. It became a centre where Methodism grew in the south west and also offered schooling. It was extended in 1802 and 1830 to cope with an increasing congregation; eventually a new church (Masters) was built on the opposite side of the graveyard. However, after the church finally closed it became in 2000 a victim of an arson attack and was desperately damaged. In the following years the historic building was left to rot, roofless and abandoned. Historic England put it at the top of its 'at risk' listing. Help finally arrived when a local group formed to buy it by 2019, just before the fire. Left with a much greater task the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust has gathered funding to restore the building and preserve the history but also offer a space for the community. It is now hoped to become 'a destination venue for a wide range of creative activities, performing arts, community programming and an educational offering.'

On Regent Street. Shops include frozen foods, loans, cards, computers, clothes, pharmacy and café.

In the town centre of Kingswood with the clock showing us it's 10:45am.

The Congregational Church of 1851 is set back from the main road in Kingswood and is approached by a short pathway. At the entrance to this Grade II listed church (converted into flats now) is a small but elegant pair of cast iron crosses.