It is the sixth time in two summers that the park has been taken over
06:00, 28 Aug 2026
The scene at King’s Head Lane Park in Bishopsworth, South Bristol, on Thursday, August 27, three days after it was taken over by a large group of travellers(Image: Bristol Post)
People living around a park in South Bristol that has been occupied by Travellers six times in the last two summers have been told by council leaders that they are looking at installing extra security barriers to stop it happening again.
But in the meantime, Bristol City Council has issued trespass notices asking the large group of Travellers to leave King’s Head Lane Park, after they broke down a gate and got into the park on Monday evening this week.
As many as 40 cars, caravans and motorhomes are currently spread out across the small park in the Highridge area of Bishopsworth, leaving local residents saying they are frustrated and angry.
This summer – like most summers – Travellers have been moving around various parks and open spaces in Bristol, often staying just a few days after being asked to move on by council officers.
Earlier this summer, Bristol Live reported on one incident in which the Blaise Castle Estate was occupied on a Saturday morning while a family archaeology fun day was taking place, and earlier this month at Redcatch Park in Knowle.
In most instances, the groups of caravans and vehicles are fairly small, and move on after a few days, but at King’s Head Lane Park this week, it appears a large number of Travellers have gathered in one place and have been there since Monday.
One local resident told Bristol Live it is the sixth time since last April that Travellers have occupied the park, and the third time in the last six weeks.
One resident who lives nearby said on Monday, residents found themselves unable to drive out of their own streets because of the arrival. She said the issue is all the more frustrating because they have been asking their local councillors and Bristol City Council for improved security access to the park, but nothing has been done.
“Residents have repeatedly followed the correct channels and raised concerns for years, yet the situation continues to escalate,” she said. “Despite repeated complaints and residents following the correct channels, the situation has continued to get worse each year.
“The occupation is also preventing community activities from taking place. Community football training is held on the park, but our young residents are missing out because the area is inaccessible,” she added.
The entrance to King’s Head Lane Park in Bishopsworth, pictured here in 2008. The gates have remained the same ever since, despite repeated requests for extra security for the access, from local residents(Image: Google Maps)
“We have repeatedly asked for bollards or other appropriate preventative measures to stop vehicles accessing the park. These requests have been refused, or we have been told that the cost is prohibitive.
“This is extremely difficult to accept when the cost of police attendance, council intervention, repeated clear-ups, waste removal, damage and environmental remediation every time the park is invaded will inevitably far outweigh the cost of installing an effective physical barrier.
“We do not pay extortionate council tax to have our homes surrounded by this level of disruption,” she added.
“It is also deeply upsetting and unsightly to look out of our windows and see what effectively becomes a caravan site directly behind our homes,” said another resident.
“This has a very real impact on residents’ quality of life, as well as legitimate concerns about the desirability and value of our properties. Some residents are now struggling to sell their homes because of the situation.
“We have complained for years, followed the correct channels and repeatedly asked for preventative measures. Yet each year the problem appears to become worse — more invasions, more caravans, more waste and more disruption,” she said.
Police were called on Monday evening when the Travellers broke into the park, but no arrests were made.
Cllr Richard Eddy, (Conservative, Bishopsworth)(Image: Bristol City Council)
One of the local councillors for Bishopsworth is Cllr Richard Eddy. “In the absence of meaningful action by Bristol City Council, I have contacted council leader Cllr Tony Dyer, chief executive Nick Hibberd and executive director of Growth & Regeneration John Smith, demanding action to reclaim the park and put adequate security improvements in place so it never happens again.
“In my email, I also emphasised that local Bishopsworth people had been pushed to the edge by the failures of the council to protect King’s Head Lane Park from Travellers,” he added.
What Bristol City Council said
In a statement, deputy council leader Cllr Heather Mack acknowledged that the Travellers broke into the park, and that extra security measures were needed.
“We are aware that Kings Head Lane Park has been regularly visited by Travellers over the last two years, which we recognise can be disruptive to the local community who want to use the green space.
“Officers have worked with this group across the summer at a number of sites in North Bristol. We have carried out welfare checks and issued trespass notices, and we are considering other methods to allow us to move groups on more quickly in the future.
“The group broke onto the site, so our parks service and the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller team are working together to improve site security moving forward.
Cllr Heather Mack(Image: (Image: Paul Gillis ))
“We are looking to install some bollards at the entrance to Kings Head Lane to deter vehicle access in the future, but we need to maintain vehicle access to allow the parks team to carry out maintenance. We are also looking at the practicalities of installing a height restriction barrier on that entrance,” she added.
“Traveller encampments pass through Bristol every year, and the majority of them cause very little disruption and raise few complaints, and we maintain a good relationship with the travelling community.
“An eviction is a last resort and not a decision we take lightly, but we will take action when an encampment starts to have an adverse impact on neighbouring homes. Our priority is to support ethnic Gypsy and Traveller communities onto full time permanent sites,” she said.