Old Photographs

This page shows some of the old photographs that we have collected over the past few years. Many thanks to all who have contributed. Please contact us if you have any photos that we can add to this page. Learn more about the history of Troopers Hill and see more old photographs on our Hill History and Memories of Troopers Hill pages.

One of the most dramatic changes over the past 30 years or so shown in the photographs is the increase in vegetation - trees, shrubs and bracken. This has significantly reduced the area of ecologically important acidic grassland and heathland on the hill. We are working with Bristol Parks to try and reverse this process through the implementation of the Management Plan.
To show how things have changed we have added a Then and Now feature to some of the photos. Clicking on the dates below the photos will display a more up to date view.

Photographs of Troopers Hill in the 1960s >>



Set A - by Vernon
Entrance E - 1984 & 1985

1984 Photo by VernonThis set of photographs shows the area around Entrance E, which is the second entrance going up Troopers Hill Road.



Set B
From the Tar Works 1953

1953 Photo These photos were brought to our History Exhibition in Sept 2005. The owner, who used to work at Butlers, very kindly allowed us to scan them.



Set C - from Raymond Holland
The Tar Works 1953

1953 Photo by Raymond Holland The originals of these photographs belong to Raymond Holland who worked at the Tar Works and wrote a paper on the History of the Tar Works published by the Society of Chemical Industry. Many thanks to Raymond for giving us permission to use them.



Set D - by Raymond Holland
Various Views - 1980s

1980s Photo by Raymond Holland Further photographs from Raymond Holland's collection give various views of the site and of the hill during the years after the Tar Works closed.



Set D1 - St Anne's Board Mills
from Troopers Hill

This shows the Board Mills as seen from Troopers Hill, first when in full production, then during demolition and finally the site with housing.



Set E - by Anne & Chris
Tar Works Demolition & cleared site.

1980s Photo by Anne These photos show the demolition at an early stage and then panoramic views of the cleared site and the start of the building works. They also show the children's nursery on the site of Stones Rank cottages nearing completion.



Set F
Along the Avon Valley

Oil boom by Raymond Holland Various views taken along the Avon Valley close to Troopers Hill, including Conham Hall, the Lamb Inn and the Board Mills.



Set G - by Roy
New Fences & Paths 1991

New Fence by Roy These photos show some of the work undertaken in 1991. There is also a photograph of the open day on Troopers Hill Field that was held to celerate the completion of the works.



Set H - by Roy
Troopers Hill - 1984 & 1985

1984 Photo by RoyThis set was taken by Roy on the same two dates as Vernon's photographs in Set A



Set I - by Mr B Alvis
Troopers Hill - 1950s

1950s photo by B AlvisIt has been possible to very accurately align this single photograph of the central part of the hill with a 2007 shot.



Set J - from Barton Hill History Group
Staffieri House & Factory

The Staffieri familyThe house and ice cream wafer factory that used to stand on the corner of Strawberry Lane and Beaufort Rd, next to the cemetry.



Set K - from Jean
1990s Views from over the River

View from St AnnesA set of photographs showing the view from St Annes in the 1990s as the new housing was being built.



Set L - by Mike Beale
Troopers Hill/St Anne's Board Mills on 4th Sept 1977

These views were sent to us by Mike in response to an article requesting old photographs of Troopers Hill published in the BIAS Bulletin in Spring 2022.

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