According to many of its residents, Stoke Bishop still has a village feel.

On Druids Hill, there is a greengrocers, hairdressers and small deli, but no pub.

In fact, there is only one pub in this largely affluent ward, the Mill House on Shirehampton Road, just a few yards inside the ward boundary.

The lack of intoxicating liqueur establishments is due to much of the land being historically owned by Quakers. There are several churches in this ward, and also Trinity College, a training ground for future Church of England vicars.

For thousands of students every year, Stoke Bishop is their first taste of Bristol. Scattered around the Botanic Gardens, there are five Bristol University halls of residence – Hiatt Baker, University, Badock, Churchill and Wills.

The latter made the national headlines last year when 21-year-old first year student Alex Fiallos crashed his new Mini in the hall grounds.

Every morning, lines of university students walk the well-worn route across the Downs on their way to lectures, following in the footsteps of thousands of others who have done the same walk over the years.

For younger students, Stoke Bishop Church of England Primary School is the only school in the ward.

Stoke Bishop ward encompasses the entirety of the Downs, one of Bristol's most beautiful areas, which is owned and managed by Bristol City Council and the Merchant Venturers.

The River Avon marks the western edge of the ward, which also includes Sea Mills railway station, and at its most northerly tip the junction of Dingle Road and Coombe Lane.

Parry's Lane then becomes the border until it reaches the White Tree roundabout, and then skirts the Downs as far as the Portway.

Sea Mills station is adjacent to a historic harbour at the point where the small River Trym meets the much larger River Avon.

Thanks to the influence of Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, the service on the Severn Beach Line has improved in recent years, with trains from Sea Mills to Temple Meads running every 30-minutes for most of the day.

This ward's affluence is exemplified by Sneyd Park, where tree-lined avenues contain some of the largest and grandest homes in Bristol.

Many have substantial front and back gardens and some have panoramic views across the Avon Gorge or the Downs.

The Downs is certainly not the only area of large, open space here.

However, Old Sneed Park and Stoke Bishop playing fields also add to the greenery.

It is so quiet around some areas that most of the cars on the roads are learner drivers.

If Stoke Bishop had a centre, it would be Druids Hill.

A small wooden shelter around a stone monument, built in 1897, lends it the feel of a bygone age.

Around the top of the wooden shelter are the words: "Presented to Stoke Bishop in memory of the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign by Francis Tagart of Old Sneed Park."

In You2 Deli, ladies who lunch sit next to builders.

The nearby greengrocers on Stoke Hill has been serving customers for decades.

The other commercial hub in the ward is a different story, however, with three out of the six shops in Trymwood Parade on Shirehampton Road empty.

A beacon of hope is provided by Paul Burns Photography on the other side of the road, the proud holder of a royal warrant from Prince Charles, who is pictured inside the shop sitting astride a horse next to Princes William and Harry, all three of whom are in polo garb.

Almost two-thirds of adults in this ward are 50 and over, and it is no surprise that 95 per cent of the overwhelmingly white population say that they are happy living here.

Some 72 per cent also say that they feel that they belong to the neighbourhood and 88 per cent say that they trust people locally, both well above the Bristol average.

Political forecast: This seat is in Tory heartland and is highly unlikely to change hands.