‘Cut off from prosperity’: Bristol’s excluded fringes – in pictures

Chris Hoare captures masked youths, quad bikers and struggling families who live in a city that seems to have forgotten them

Seven Hills by Chris Hoare is a photographic portrayal of a lesser-known side of Bristol. Having been shaped by his experiences growing up on the northern fringe of the city, his work pays close attention to the friction as he sees it between the prosperous centre and the disregarded outskirts. Here, Declan shares his cigarette with his good friend Charlie while fishing along an old canal which cuts through the industrial district of St Philip’s. Seven Hills runs at Kit Form, Bristol from 31 May until 16 June

Charlie (front) and Oakley (back) take turns to ride a quad bike on a summer’s evening. The two are part of a large group of youths from St Annes who, when the weather is nice, hangout by the river Avon, which weaves its way through the city

Moe and her family rush back from the shops before the rain comes. This was taken on Mowcroft Road, Hartcliffe. The family were carrying a balloon to celebrate one of the boy’s birthdays

A tree half scorched during the dry summer of 2022, where a fire reached the steps of St Arilda’s Church in Oldbury-on-Severn

A couple who had recently moved up to Bristol from Devon perch on a bench in the centre of the city, behind them there is a plaque commemorating John Cabot’s voyage of discovery to the Americas in 1497

Chris Hoare: ‘Gina cradles her daughter on a beautiful spring day in Hartcliffe. Their estate sits in the far south of the city, from which in the far distance the Clifton suspension bridge can be seen, but it can feel particularly cut off from the prosperity of the city. Equal to this are areas in the far north, such as Lawrence Weston, Southmead or Henbury, where I spent time as a youth growing up’

Young lads pose for a photograph after interrupting a ‘car meeting’ at Cribbs Causeway. The two came skidding into a car park and caused a scene among the people who had met up to show off their motors

‘Usher’ flexes his muscles on Stapleton Road, which stretches parallel to parts of the M32 – the main artery leading into the city. The road is part of the neighbourhood of Easton, which is popular with newcomers and at the forefront of the city’s battle with gentrification

Shanice sits with her friend on the pavement. She is a known character around Stokes Croft, which is an area known for its nightlife, street art and music, but is also a place where many of the city’s tensions unfold. As the housing crises persist and deepen, Stokes Croft is now home to a number of sheltered houses and charities supporting the vulnerable

A lad takes off his T-shirt in Castle Park – Bristol’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park, albeit far smaller – where among other things, youths from neighbouring areas spend time mixing and hanging out

Declan watching his friend ‘Johnners’ fix his jeep. This photograph was taken in St Annes, an estate high on a hill overlooking Bristol. Seven Hills is a look at how the hills of Bristol in part shape the experience of the inhabitants

Sid picks flowers for his girlfriend who is a nurse. He confesses he is an alcoholic and is ‘lucky to have her’. This photograph was taken at the foot of Stokes Croft