Kingswood, South Gloucestershire - Definition and Overview

Kingswood in Avon: 1974-1996

Kingswood is a town in South Gloucestershire, England. It had a boot and shoe manufacturing industry. In the 18th century it was a small coal mining village where George Whitefield's open-air preaching greatly influenced John Wesley in the founding of Methodism. His construction of a number of chapels and schools is held to be one of the factors contributinig to Kingswood's growth at the time.

The town is a suburb of Bristol and runs directly into it.

From 1974 to 1996 it was a local government district borough in the County of Avon. It was merged on April 1, 1996 with its neighborouging Northavon to form South Gloucestershire.

The present parliamentary constituency of Kingswood also covers a small part of Bristol. Its MP is Roger Berry.

External link

• Kingswood's Boot and shoe industry (http://www.southglos.gov.uk/corporate/about_sglos/kingswood/collier.htm)