Hanham
Hanham is one of the smaller suburbs in Bristol. This area is more residential, with a few shops scattered here and there. This means that Hanham never really is a ‘top priority’ for tourists visiting the rest of Bristol. It remains the domain of residents in the city.
Brief History
When it comes to the history of Hanham, there is not a lot to talk about. This is because it just naturally grew as part of Bristol. As the city of Bristol expanded, people moved into new areas and that is how Hanham came to be. The architecture that you find around Hanham is very much a mish-mash of different architectural periods, with most of the architecture being post-war when the city was being rebuilt after the Blitz of Bristol.
The area of Hanham used to play host to the Hanham Hall Hospital. There has been a hospital on the site since the 17th Century. In the early 1900s, it became a hospital for mentally ill children. It was one of the first hospitals purchased by the NHS when the NHS was first formed, although it eventually closed in 2000 to give way to the development of various new projects in the area, one of which is the ‘brain child’ of Gordon Brown.
Claim to Fame
While Hanham is not an area that is going to appear in the Domesday Book or anything like that, it does have a claim to fame. This comes in the form of Tom Cribb. Back in the 1800s, he was a world-famous bare-knuckle boxer. There was barely a country he did not head to. Over time, he became the world champion for bare-knuckle boxing. If you live in Bristol, then you may have heard of Cribbs Causeway. This is a major road and out-of-town shopping centre just a short hop from Hanham. For decades, it was believed that Cribbs Causeway was named after Tom Cribb, although this has since been proven false. That being said, it is nice to have a bit of a local legend like this.
The other claim to fame comes in the form of Gordon Brown. No, he was not born here. Instead, back during his tenure as Prime Minister, he selected Hanham as being one of the first locations for his eco-home project. This project is to be built on the old Hanham Hall Hospital site. The eco-village project is there to provide residential areas throughout the United Kingdom which have zero carbon emissions.
Businesses in Hanham
Since Hanham is more of a residential area than a business place, there are very few major businesses located within Hanham. Perhaps the real highlight, at least when it comes to the chain stores, is Lidl which can be found on the main road through Hanham. Other than this, you have Hanham Business Park which is home to several different smaller businesses, as well as a few warehouses. You also have several large mechanics that operate in the area. Of course, all these businesses are using commercial cleaners to ensure that their places look fantastic for the people that visit them.
It is likely that when the development of the eco-village project is complete, Hanham will start to attract several ‘greener’ businesses due to its new allure. There are several plans to bring new companies into the Hanham area, but do not expect the site to become a major shopping district like other parts of Bristol. This will, first and foremost, always remain being a residential area. Those who wish to shop near Hanham will be pleased to know that the place is a stones throw away from Cribbs Causeway.