Ashton Court Mansion

Flower and Bee in the Mansion Gardens Owned by Bristol Council since the 1950's; the mansion offers function rooms, lawns and gardens for corporate or private hire. With the driveway leading down to the mansion reserved for its visitors car parking.

The estates main public car parks and entrance to the mansion gardens are however free. Car parking is on both sides of the mansion accessed from Kennel Lodge Road.

South Face Tower The mansion also has a Visitor Centre and the Stables Cafe for refreshments. These are in the old stables area. On the side you see first when you approach the mansion from Kennel Lodge Road..

The 18th century south facade above was of course designed to impress visitors.

In the times of the last owners, the Smyth family. visitors from Bristol would arrive at the Town Gate and traveled in a great sweep below the mansions south face to eventually arrive at the Western Entrance.

Access from Kennel Lodge Road.

Mid May early 2007 bloom, go in Late May or June for a mass display in most years. I prefer naturalised or truly wild plants and flowers to formal gardens but the rose garden is an exception and worth a look in mid to late May or June perhaps later too.

Replanted in 2006 with a variety of climbing and shrub roses in a formal planting.

The mansions South Face from the Sunken Garden.

The south face of Ashton Court Mansion from the sunken garden.

Early morning view
South face on an early summer morning.

History and Neighbours

Links on the history of Ashton Court and to its neighbours: Leigh Woods, the Avon Gorge, Clifton Suspension Bridge ...

Western Entrance and the Lodges

Ashton Court Mansion west entrance is the main entrance to the mansion. The west face dates from about the 16th Century and leads to a 14th Century Medieval Hall (needing restoration).

Drives ran from the Clifton, Clarken Coombe, Church and Lawn (or Garden) Lodges to converge here. Three of those driveways still exist.

With the fourth driveway to the Lawn/Garden Lodge now gone, it actually ran through parts of what is now a school. You can still see the lodge in Ashton Park School (external link).

Its easy to criticise the rather poor setting of that lodge now but in the 1950's priorities where very much elsewhere so I am just glad they didn't demolish it. I suspect the lodge will outlast the schools present buildings too.

The other lodges have fared better, with Clarken Coombe Lodge restored in early 2007.

Ashton Court has one further lodge, Kennel Lodge. The driveway from Kennel Lodge passed the Kennels some distance from the house. Then up to the stables and the (now demolished) servants quarters and I am sure that it was primarily for the staff and tradesmen.

The rather modest Kennel Lodge The very modest Kennel Lodge on Kennel Lodge Road, just before the University of the West of England - Art, Media and Design campus.

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