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 has been a venue for a variety of leisure activities, including the now-defunct Ashton Court festival, Bristol International Kite Festival and the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
[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 the wing incorrectly[1] attributed to Inigo Jones date from about 1633[2] and were 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.[3]
The lower lodge to Ashton Court and attached gates, railings and bollards, which were built in 1805 by Henry Wood, are Grade II* listed buildings.[4] The garden and perimeter walls and railings are also listed.[5][6][6][7][8]
[edit] The estate
The estate covers 850 acres (3.4 km²) of woods and open grassland laid out by Humphrey Repton.[2] 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
Aerial view of Ashton Court Estate
Ashton Court Meadow (2.37 hectares) 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] Clarken Combe
Clarken Combe, at the western edge of the estate, is a woodland area with a range of plant species, including narrow-lipped helleborine, which grows here in small numbers under beech.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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