Ashton Court

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Ashton Court

Building information
Town Bristol
Country England
Coordinates 51°26′53″N 2°38′41″W / 51.44791, -2.64462Coordinates: 51°26′53″N 2°38′41″W / 51.44791, -2.64462
Client Smyth family
Construction start date 1633
Ashton Court

Shown within Bristol (above) and England.

Ashton Court (grid reference ST553723) is a mansion house and estate to the west of Bristol in England. Although the estate lies mainly in North Somerset, it is owned by the City of Bristol. The estate is a venue for a variety of leisure activities, including the Ashton Court festival and the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.

Contents

[edit] Architecture

The core of the house was built in the 15th century, but it was enlarged and adapted over the centuries by the Smyth family, who bought the estate in 1545. The south facade and Inigo Jones wing date from about 1633[1] and was extended eastwards in the 19th century. The house became derelict after the last of the Smyths died in 1946; it was taken over by the City in 1959, and restoration has been an ongoing process since then. The facilities of the house are now rented out for business conferences, parties and weddings.

The mansion house and stables have been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.[2]

The lower lodge to Ashton Court and attached gates, railings and bollards, which were built in 1805 by Henry Wood, are a grade II* listed building.[3] The garden and perimeter walls and railings are also listed.[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]

[edit] The estate

The estate covers 850 acres (3.4 km²) of woods and open grassland laid out by Humphrey Repton.[1] It includes two pitch-and-putt golf courses, an orienteering course and horse riding and mountain bike trails.[9] There is a deer park which was started in the 14th century and extended in the 16th and 17th centuries The park contains a great variety of wildlife; much of the site (an area of 210.31 hectares) was notified in 1998 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the presence of rare woodland beetles.[10]

[edit] Ashton Court Meadow

2.37 hectares, known as Ashton Court Meadow, is managed as a nature reserve by the Avon Wildlife Trust. It contains a wide range of flowering plants, including wild carrot, yellow-wort and field scabious. Some unusual parasitic plants are also found here, such as common broomrape which feeds off clovers, and yellow-rattle, which feeds partly off grass.[11]

[edit] Image Gallery

The mansion at Ashton Court

Aerial view of Ashton Court Estate

Morning ascent at the International Balloon Fiesta

Lodge

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Burrough, THB (1970). Bristol. London: Studio Vista. ISBN 0289798043. 
  2. ^ Ashton Court Mansion and Stables. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-03-16.
  3. ^ Lower Lodge to Ashton Court and attached gates, railings and bollards. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  4. ^ Former perimeter wall of Ashton Court estate. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  5. ^ Garden Wall extending to south- east from east corner of Ashton. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  6. ^ Garden Wall extending to south- east from east corner of Ashton. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  7. ^ Garden Wall extending to south- east from south corner of Ashton. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  8. ^ Two sets of Railings, Gates and Gatepiers at south end of Ashton. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  9. ^ Ashton Court Estate. Bristol City Council. Retrieved on 2006-06-13.
  10. ^ Ashton Court (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved on 2006-06-13.
  11. ^ Ashton Court Meadow. Reserves. Avon Wildlife Trust. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon
Ashton Court • Avon Gorge • Banwell Caves • Biddle Street, Yatton • Bishop's Hill Wood • Blagdon Lake • Bodkin Hazel Wood • Brockley Hall Stables • Brown's Folly • Burledge Sidelands and Meadows • Burrington Combe • Chew Valley Lake • Cleaves Wood • Cleeve Wood, Hanham • Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines • Compton Martin Ochre Mine • Congrove Field and The Tumps • Dolebury Warren • Ellenborough Park West • Folly Farm • Goblin Combe • Gordano Valley • Harptree Combe • Hawkesbury Meadow • Hinton Charterhouse Field • Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton • Iford Manor • King's Wood and Urchin Wood • Long Dole Wood and Meadows • Lower Woods • Max Bog • Middle Hope • Midger • Monkswood Valley • Plaster's Green Meadows • Purn Hill • Puxton Moor • Severn Estuary • Shiplate Slait • St. Catherine's Valley • Steep Holm • Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors • Uphill Cliff • Upton Coombe • Walton Common • Weston Big Wood  • Yanal Bog


Neighbouring areas: Gloucestershire • Somerset • Wiltshire
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