Characterised by its tree lined avenues and attractive properties Leigh Woods was named a ‘Best Address’ in Bristol by The Sunday Times in its Best Places to Live Guide 2021.
Leigh Woods is a 2-square-kilometre area of woodland on the South West side of the Avon Gorge, close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge within North Somerset opposite the city of Bristol and located north of the Ashton Court Estate, of which it formed a part.
Let’s discover Leigh Woods.
LEIGH WOODS
(BS8 postcode)
In 1909 part of the woodland was donated to the National Trust to prevent development of the city beside the gorge following the building of the Leigh Woods suburb. The other areas not owned by the National trust have since been taken over by Forestry England and constitute a national nature reserve and site of special scientific interest because of the rare flora and fauna that can be found.
Living in Leigh Woods
The main attraction to living in Leigh Woods is its enviable “best of both worlds” location: whilst being surrounded with woodlands and countryside on your door step (Ashton Court Estate extends to 850 acres, whilst Leigh Woods Nature Reserve offers 500 acres of space) you are still within close proximity of Clifton Village.
It is consequently a haven for nature and outdoor lovers and undoubtedly the best area to live in Bristol for countryside living.
Architecture & Properties in Leigh Woods
The village of Leigh Woods is one of Bristol’s most historic locations. 1864 marked the opening of the iconic and equally beautiful Clifton Suspension Bridge and sparked the development of this area of Bristol with some of the Clifton wealth set developing grand detached villas, giving the area its distinctive identity nested within the nature reserve it sits.
A number of architectural styles were adopted to take advantage of the unique vantage point Leigh Woods occupies: Italian, Scottish Baronial, Domestic Revival, neo-Jacobean, Swiss Chalet, Domestic Revival and Arts and Crafts are all styles that can be easily identified when walking along North Road.
The residential area of Leigh Woods is extremely, it will only take you 10 minutes to walk around it.
House Prices in Leigh Woods
Leigh Woods is one of Bristol’s smallest neighbourhoods, so properties are often hard to come by here. House prices in Leigh Woods are among the highest in the South West, and for a good reason: you can easily walk into the bustling heart of Clifton, whilst benefiting from a short drive north to the M5, or south to Bristol airport.
Properties in Leigh Woods had an overall average price of £1,000,000 over the last year.
The majority of sales in Leigh Woods during the last year were flats, selling for an average price of £590,278.
Detached properties sold for an average of £1,500,000
Overall, sold prices in Leigh woods over the last year were 10% up on the previous year.
Leigh Woods is mainly comprised of large, detached villas that fetch prices over £1 million and rarely come on the market for sale. Typically they will fly off the shelves due to the highly sought after area. Many of these properties consequently tend to be listed off-market.
However, the area does have some apartment blocks in a selection of styles that offer smaller and more affordable properties.
For more information on house prices in Leigh Woods, please visit the House price data link for BS8 postcode (source: home.co.uk): https://www.home.co.uk/guides/house_prices_menu.htm?location=bs8
Properties for sale in Leigh Woods
Properties rarely come on the market for sale in Leigh Woods as they tend to be long-term proposition for families with children. As a result, be prepared for high asking prices, regardless if it is listed on or off-market.
Guide price: £1,850,000 https://www.onthemarket.com/details/9017525/
Guide price: £1,485,000 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107792546#/
Guide price of £550,000 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110719439#
Leigh Woods transport
Despite its village location, living in Leigh Woods provides excellent transport connections and links: the A4 is within quick reach and providing easy access to the M5, while the M4 can be reached in about 15 minutes.
The area is also conveniently located for rail commuters since it is located just 1 ½ miles away from Clifton Down railway station (13 minutes to Bristol temple Meads). Furthermore Leigh Woods benefits from a number of bus routes with stops along Rownham Hill and Abbots Leigh Road.
Finally there is also a large number of foot and bridle paths that make the area a pleasant place for travelling by foot or cycle.
Leigh Woods schools
As Leigh Woods is a very small village, it doesn’t have any local schooling facilities. However there is a good choice of schooling establishments available nearby in Hotwells and Clifton.
Clifton is particularly convenient as it is home to several excellent primary and secondary schools with “outstanding” ratings from Ofsted. St John’s Church of England Primary School and Clifton College are 2 all time favourites. And if you are after an alternative type of education for your children, the Bristol Forest School at Leigh Court Farm comes highly recommended too due to its hands-on learning model of education in a local woodland environment.
Leigh Woods entertainment
Since Leigh Woods is a small residential area, it doesn’t have any shopping facilities in its vicinity. However it is only a short stroll (10 mns walk) to Clifton Village which offers a diverse range of independent shops such as in the Clifton Arcade, as well as cafes alongside some of the best restaurants in the city. Clifton’s main shopping area spans The Mall, Princess Victoria Street and Boyces Avenue.
One of the main attractions drawing people to live in Leigh Woods is the close proximity to nature and endless surrounding woodlands for weekend walks. Clifton Suspension Bridge remains the main tourist attraction locally but many people visiting the area will also venture to Ashton Court.
Summary of Leigh Woods
* Highly sought after but very pricey!
* Properties above the average price for Bristol
* Popular with high net worth professionals and families. Properties sell and rent very quickly and rarely come on the market for sale
- Good for: offers the best of both worlds – close proximity to woodlands and the countryside with quick access to Clifton Village
* Downside: very expensive properties (if you can afford it!)
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