The league was founded as the Bristol Church of England Association Football League in the 1910–11 season. It had three divisions: Simons, St Werburghs and St Marks won the inaugural season's titles. Among the clubs that joined the league in those early years were Avonmouth St Andrews and Backwell United. In the 1960s the league had five senior and three junior divisions, in which the youth teams of local Football League clubs Bristol City and Bristol Rovers participated with success. The league obviously comprised many clubs from the city of Bristol itself but there was also solid representation from North Somerset with clubs such as Norton Hill Rangers, Harptree United, Blagdon, Dundry Athletic and Congresbury. There were also a few clubs from South Gloucestershire such as RWP,Henfield Youth and Pilning Athletic. The league adopted its current name in 1973. Records indicate that one former and four current Western Football League sides at one time played in the Bristol Church of England League / Bristol & Avon League, namely:
Roman Glass St. George – the Roman Glass section of the club
Backwell United – now playing in the Somerset County League as Ashton & Backwell United.
In addition the reserve side of Longwell Green Sports played in the Bristol & Avon League. Sun Life along with RWP have progressed to the Gloucestershire County League. Premier League and FA Cup Final referee Steve Dunn began his career in the league. The league used to hold their meetings in the old Temple Colston School in the centre of Bristol. The meetings were presided over by the late Jack Jenkins, a charismatic and forceful Chairman. Their names live on in the form of the league's cup competitions – the Jack Jenkins Memorial Cup and the Temple Colston Cup. The league's centenary dinner was held on 29 October 2010 at which Norman Hunter was the guest speaker. From 2002 until 2011 the league ran only one division but it was expanded again to two divisions for the 2011–12 season.
2016–17 Members
AFC Hartcliffe Reserves
Bristol fame FC
Dodington FC
Hanham Abbotonians
Iron Acton 'B'
New Wave United
Real Totterdown FC
Stanton AFC
South West Spartans
Westerleigh Sports Reserves
The 1965–66 League Constitution
The early 1960s represented a period of growth for the Bristol Church of England League with the league reaching its zenith in the 1965–66 season when the League Handbook indicates that there were 79 teams in the five senior divisions and 32 teams in the three youth divisions. The league would never again have as many as 111 teams and by the 1966–67 season the competition had already lost one of its youth divisions as the popularity of Sunday football began to increase. The full constitution for the league, as detailed in the 1965–66 League Handbook, was as follows: ;Division One Avon Athletic |Blagdon |B.R.S.A. |Castle Green |Congresbury |Dundry Athletic |Fishponds "A" |Hanham Forest |Harptree United |Henfield Youth |Kenegal United |Lakeside Sports |Lockleaze C.A. |N.D.L.B. |Norton Hill Rangers |St. Paul's ;Division Two Badminton Road Methodist |Filwood Park |Hanham Mills |Henbury O.B. |Lockleaze C.A. Reserves |Mardon's Stoke Rangers |Nicholas Wanderers Reserves |Oldbury Court |Pilning Athletic |Redcliffe Bay |Russell Town |St. Gregory's Youth |St James |Staple Hill |Totterdown Y.M.C.A. |Waring United ;Division Three Argyle United |Arnside |Brentry Lodge |Bristol Corinthians |Downend Athletic |Eagle House |John Harveys |Knowle Methodist Y.C. |Maywood Athletic |Olveston United |Ridgeway Rovers |R.W.P. |St Bedes United |St Stephen's Youth Club |Southcliffe United |Wyndham United ;Division Four Athletico |Clevedon Sports |Kingswood Rangers |Kingswood Y.C. |Made for Ever |Nicholas Wanderers Youth |Oldbury Court Reserves |Pilning Y.C. |Ridgeway Rovers Reserves |St. Ambrose Colts |Shaftesbury Crusade |Somerdale Y.C. |Southmead Spartans |20th Century Y.C. |Warmley Tower Methodist Y.C. ;Division Five Bedminster Road |Bristol Corinthians Reserves |Bristol Spartak |Broomhill Y.C. |Gardiners |Goodneston Sports |Nailsea United "A" |Patchway Youth Club |Russell Town Reserves |St Andrew's |St James |St Mary's Stanton Drew Reserves |St Stephen's Soundwell |Stockwood Y.C. |Totterdown United |Woodcliffe Athletic ;Under 18 Division Badminton Road Methodist Y.C. |Bitton |Bristol North |Bristol Rovers Juniors |Court Rangers |Globetrotters United |Henbury O.B. |Somerdale Y.C. |Stapleton |Yate Y.M.C.A. Boys Club ;Under 17 Division Ashton Athletic |Avonmouth |Avon Villa |Clifton St. Vincent's |Hartcliffe Methodist |Henbury O.B. |Holy Cross Catholic |Holy Cross United |Knowle Teenagers |St George |St Mark's |Sneyd Park Juniors | Wrington ;Under 16 Division Avonmouth |Bristol North |Coombe Dingle |Henbury O.B. |Henfield Colts |Nailsea United |Northville Rovers |Oldbury Court |Patchway Youth Club
