Portishead & Around Through Time

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Portishead and its surroundings have changed and developed over the last century.

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North Somerset has seen great changes in the last two centuries, and this evocative collection of old and new photographs shows how three of the county’s communities, Portishead, Pill and Long Ashton, have altered and grown through time. All three had a close relationship with the old maritime port of Bristol, which shaped their history. As can be seen in these beautifully illustrated pages, many of the streets, shops, houses and workplaces have greatly changed.

Sitting on the edge of the Severn Estuary, Portishead was an insignificant North Somerset village in 1811, with a population of just 369. It was transformed over the next 100 years into a popular seaside resort with a busy dock. Today, Portishead has reinvented itself as a cosmopolitan town, complete with a magnificent marina. Dependent on Bristol’s sea trade, Pill has had to adapt to the closure of Bristol’s docks, while Long Ashton has grown from a rural outpost into a prosperous village.