Portishead
Portishead is a medium sized town that is located just ten miles from Bristol along the Bristol Channel that has started to regain its position in within the last ten years. Many people recognize the newly burgeoning town due to the hit indie rock band of the nineties who took their name, Portishead, from the town. Originally, the town of Portishead thrived due to its Docks and its Railway Company in the mid-80s. Further development of the Railway and Dock areas led to a great influx of residents and plenty of job opportunities for the locals.
However, following its significant role in history as a supplies and munitions stop for vessels heading to Normandy on D-Day the railway was closed down to Bristol first for passengers and then for freight purposes. Soon after the railway closed down the Docks were also closed down and the newly built Power Stations were demolished. The town lost a significant amount of residents and its traffic until a £9 million regeneration project was begun in 2001 by Quays Marina known as Port Marine.
Today, the town of Portishead is rapidly expanding in size with each phase of the project as it is bringing back jobs, tourists, and residents to the area with the completion of each phase of the project. Today the marina is home to many vessels and is considered one of the best locations to house a vessel along the Bristol Channel due to its versatile access to many bays and ports.
Also, the land around Portishead was decontaminated bringing an end to the fear of living in the area along with the continual construction of more homes and shops that now line the marina where the factories of the 1800’s used to sit. Outside of the shopping and commercial areas, the town of Portishead has managed to maintain its Victorian charm making it a popular holiday spot for those who want to take a step into historical Britain.
At the close of the Port Marine project there will be approximately 3,500 new homes in the city of Portishead which is expected to increase the population of the area up to 25,000 which has led to talks by city officials and lobby groups to reopen the railway system so that there is a public transportation option between Portishead and Bristol once again.
