Prefab Stories

Prefab Stories is part of the Bristol Stories project. Following the war, homes were built quickly using prefabricated parts. Decades on, many of these temporary “prefabs” are still in use. A council decision to replace them is being fought.

Select a title below to view:

A Wooden Bench
by Dave Drew
A Bristol driving instructor uses a novel way to find a nice area of the town to live in.

An Idyllic Retreat
by Pamela
Life in a prefab house in Valerian Close, Shirehampton. The prefabs have now been demolished.

Homes for Heroes
by Mike
The history of post-war pre-fabricated homes, told in the form of a poem.

Prefab Story
by Dave Drew
The story of prefab housing in Bristol, from the 1940s into the new millennium.

Reflections as seen through the Eyes of a Pensioner
by Mike
A poem about the uncertain future for elderly people living in Bristol prefab homes, marked by Bristol City Council for demolition.

What was!
by Doreen Hancock
An incredible oasis of life around a ‘temporary’ prefabricated home, now under threat of demolition and re-development.