Kingsdown was built as Bristol`s first planned suburb in the 18th century. At the time it was well know locally as the site of an important Civil War fortification & appreciated as an airy, green space just beyond the crowded medieval city. The land had once belonged to the Benedictine Priory of St James but Henry VIII`s Dissolution resulted in the fragmentation of land ownership. The consequent sale of lands to wealthy entrepreneurs in the 16th & 17th centuries provides the first documented description of Kingsdown. The Georgian suburb which appeared during Bristol`s golden age became increasingly fashionable, but economic collapse following the outbreak of war with France led to the financial ruin of many of the investors & developers. The Victorian & Edwardian periods were a time of consolidation, sanitary improvements & growing urbanisation, as Kingsdown was incorporated into the City of Bristol. enhanced transport links & the attractions of the outer suburbs drew residents away from the inner areas & Kingsdown`s social status slowly declined, its physical fabric subsequently deteriorating.A lack of maintanance, coupled with Second World War damage & the post-war zoning of the Kingsdown slopes for hospital expansion & municipal housing, resulted in the 1950s clearance of those houses deemed to be unfit. Passionate protests accompanied their destruction & are recalled in this lively illustrated account of a fascinating & singular area. The story ends on a positive note by celebrating the survival of the streets on the hilltop. The area`s architectural qualities are the subject of growing appreciation & a vibrant community makes the care for Kingsdown`s unique heritage a priority.