Totterdown, Bristol
Plain, sourced guides to the hillside neighbourhood above Temple Meads: its steep streets and coloured houses, its history, what's on, and what's changing.
Residents' parking: the council's survey on a Totterdown scheme closes on 5 November 2026. See what's proposedGuides
What is Totterdown?
Totterdown is a neighbourhood in south Bristol, on the steep hill above the River Avon and Temple Meads station, in the city's Windmill Hill ward. In short:
- It was built in late Victorian times to house railway workers, and many of its terraces are now painted in bright colours. History
- Vale Street, with an average gradient of about 21.8%, was named England's steepest residential street by Ordnance Survey in 2019. Vale Street
- More than 500 homes and businesses were demolished from about 1968 for a ring road that was never built. The lost road
- Homes sold for an average of £374,399 in the year to early 2026. House prices
- The Totterdown Arts Trail, held since 2001, returns on 14 and 15 November 2026. Arts trail
Each figure is sourced on the linked guide.