Blaise Castle Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blaise Castle Estate |
|
|---|---|
The folly castle
|
|
| Location | Bristol, England |
| Built for | John Harford (Blaise Castle House) |
| Architect | William Paty (Blaise Castle House) |
| Owner | Bristol City Council |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Blaise Castle | |
| Designated | 8 January 1959 |
| Reference no. | 1208115 |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Blaise Castle House and attached wall | |
| Designated | 8 January 1959 |
| Reference no. | 1279500 |
| Official name: Blaise Castle and Hamlet | |
| Designated | 15 May 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1001426 |
|
Listed Building – Grade II
|
|
| Official name: Orangery to Blaise Castle House | |
| Designated | 8 January 1959 |
| Reference no. | 1293345 |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Model dairy approximately 60 metres east of Blaise Castle House | |
| Designated | 8 January 1959 |
| Reference no. | 1293355 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Blaise Castle is a cool old building, like a pretend castle, built in 1766. You can find it near Henbury in Bristol, England. This castle is part of a bigger area called the Blaise Castle Estate.
The estate also has Blaise Castle House. This is a large mansion from the 1700s. Both the castle and the house are special because they are "listed buildings." This means they are important historical sites. Other buildings on the estate, like an orangery (a fancy greenhouse) and a dairy, are also listed.
The estate also includes Blaise Hamlet. This is a group of nine small, unique cottages. They were built in 1811 for people who used to work for the estate owner. The whole parkland is also a special historic garden.
People have lived in this area for a very long time! There are signs of people from the Neolithic (New Stone Age), Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman times. The land was once owned by the church. Later, in 1766, a man named Thomas Farr had the pretend castle built. It was designed in a style called Gothic Revival.
After some changes in ownership, John Scandrett Harford bought the estate. He built the current Blaise Castle House in a Neoclassical style. His family lived there until 1926. Then, Bristol City Council bought the estate. Today, the house is a museum run by the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. It has cool collections, including old clothes and toys!
Contents
Discovering Blaise Castle's Past
The Blaise Castle Estate has a long and interesting history. People lived here even before written records began!
Early Life at Blaise Castle
- Stone Age Farmers: Tiny pieces of flint found here suggest that Stone Age farmers might have lived on the estate first.
- Ancient Settlements: We have clearer proof of people from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman times. They built special hill-forts in the area.
- Protected History: Because of its rich past, the estate became a "scheduled monument" in 1982. This means it's a very important historical site that needs to be protected.
From Church Land to Private Estate
- Church Ownership: Long ago, before the Normans arrived, the land belonged to the Bishop of Worcester.
- Saint Blaise's Chapel: During this time, there was a chapel on the estate named after Saint Blaise. This is how the estate got its name!
- New Owners: After the monasteries were closed down, the land was sold. It changed hands a few times over the centuries. The last parts of the old chapel were removed in 1707.
Exploring Blaise Castle House
Blaise Castle House is a large, impressive home. It was built between 1796 and 1798.
Who Built the House?
- Thomas Farr: In the late 1700s, a wealthy merchant named Thomas Farr owned the estate. He was the one who built the pretend castle.
- John Harford's Vision: Later, in 1778, a lawyer bought the estate. Then, in 1789, a rich banker from Bristol named John Harford bought it. He decided to tear down the old house and build the beautiful one we see today.
- Designed by William Paty: The new house was designed by an architect named William Paty. It's a square stone building with a fancy entrance that has tall columns.
Changes Over Time
- Adding New Rooms: John Harford's son, also named John Scandrett Harford, inherited the estate. He added more parts to the house.
- The Picture Room: Around 1832, a special "Picture Room" was added. It has six large columns and now displays paintings from the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.
- A Museum Today: The estate was sold to Bristol City Council in 1926. This was done to protect it from being built on. Since 1949, Blaise Castle House has been a museum. It shows how people lived in the past, with displays of old kitchen tools, cleaning supplies, and even historic toilets! It also has a fun collection of toys from the 1700s to the 1980s.
The Pretend Castle: Blaise Castle
On a hill high above the gorge, you'll find the famous Blaise Castle. It's a "sham castle," meaning it looks like a castle but wasn't built for defense.
A Castle with a View
- Amazing Views: From the castle, you can see all of Bristol, Avonmouth, and the Avon Gorge. On a clear day, you can even see across to South Wales!
- Built in 1766: This circular building was constructed in 1766 by Robert Mylne. It was built where the old chapel dedicated to Saint Blaise used to be.
- Gothic Style: The castle is built from local stone and has three towers with jagged tops, like a real medieval castle. It cost a lot of money to build back then!
A Popular Attraction
- Open to Visitors: From the very beginning, the castle was open to visitors and was a very popular spot. People loved the amazing views.
- Mentioned in a Book: The castle was even mentioned in the famous novel Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. A character in the book calls it "the finest place in England."
- Restored for Today: The castle was used for many years and was beautifully decorated inside. It was restored in 1957 so people can still enjoy it today. It's also a Grade II* listed building, showing its historical importance.
Charming Blaise Hamlet
Blaise Hamlet is a very special place. It's a small village with nine unique cottages built around a green area.
A Village for Employees
- Built for Workers: Blaise Hamlet was built around 1811 for the retired employees of the Harford family. It was a kind and thoughtful way to provide homes for them.
- Unique Designs: Each cottage is different from the others. They have cool features like brick chimneys and dormer windows (windows that stick out from the roof). Some even have charming thatched roofs!
- Designed by John Nash: The hamlet was designed by a famous architect named John Nash. He was known for his "Picturesque" style, which made buildings look like they fit perfectly into nature.
A Beautiful Setting
- Village Green: An oval path connects all the cottages and goes around the central village green. In the middle of the green, there's a sundial.
- Cottage Gardens: The gardens around the cottages are planted in a lovely "Victorian cottage garden" style. This means they have lots of colorful flowers and plants that look natural and pretty.
- First Garden Suburb: Blaise Hamlet is considered one of the very first "garden suburbs." It inspired many other planned communities that combined homes with green spaces.
The Beautiful Blaise Estate Park
The castle and its huge parkland, which is about 650 acres (2.6 square kilometers), are now open for everyone to enjoy. It's a fantastic place to explore!
Designed by a Master
- Humphry Repton: The beautiful grounds were designed by Humphry Repton, a very famous landscape gardener from the early 1800s.
- Original Paths: Some of the paths and drives he designed still exist today. You can walk along them and imagine what the estate looked like long ago.
- Other Buildings: Besides the house and the hamlet, other buildings were added to the estate, like a limestone dairy built in 1802.
Nature and Features
- The Gorge: The estate has a deep gorge carved out by the Hazel Brook stream. This gorge has some cool natural features:
- Goram's Chair: A limestone rock that climbers often use.
- Lover's Leap and Potter's Point: Two spots with amazing panoramic views.
- Stratford Mill: An old mill was moved here and rebuilt in the gorge.
- Streams and Pools: The Hazel Brook joins the River Trym, which flows towards Sea Mills. You can also find two pools, the Giant's Soapdish and the Penny Well, and two caves, the Robber's Cave and the Butcher's Cave.
- Kings Weston Hill: This hill is also part of the estate and is close to an old Roman villa.
See also
