Blaise Castle Estate

General information

Kingsweston Road, Lawrence Weston, Bristol BS10 7QS

Introduction

Blaise Castle Estate is a magnificent 650 acre Grade II listed parkland and, with over 5000 years of history, one of Bristol’s gems. With a deep wooded limestone gorge, dramatic scenery, and ancient monuments steeped in folklore, this estate is one of the most magical and romantic landscapes in the west country. With plenty to do for children as well as adults, it is easily possible to spend a whole day enjoying its varied features and many facilities.

Visit the folly castle, have a picnic on the grasslands or explore the gorge and woodlands. Wander along the winding driveway designed by renowned 18th century landscape architect Humphrey Repton to discover a timber lodge, a legend about a giant and an elegant country house - once home to the influential Harford family and now a museum of everyday life with a fascinating exhibit on the history of the estate.

Since 1999, the estate has been benefiting from a Heritage Lottery funded project to restore the historic landscape and public park (see information and attachment below).

Green Flag Award

Blaise Castle Estate has won the prestigious Green Flag Award, a recognition and reward for the best green spaces in the country, high environmental standards and a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.

More information about Blaise Castle Estate and the Green Flag Award.

Blaise Castle

The folly castle is opened by volunteers from Friends of Blaise on every third Sunday in the month, May to October, Bank Holidays from 2 - 4.30pm. 

This unique and eccentric structure offers:

• exhibits, including a display of old pictures of the castle and historical details
• panoramic views of the area from the castle roof. This is the highest point in the local landscape with views extending to the Cotswold Hills, Wales and the suburbs of Bristol
• opportunities to buy souvenir post cards and cut out models of the castle - all profits are reinvested in the estate

Blaise Castle House Museum

The Blaise Castle House Museum is home to the social history collection for Bristol's Museums, Galleries and Archives. Discover every-day objects from centuries past including Victorian toilets and baths, kitchen and laundry equipment, model trains, dolls, toys and period costume.

Heritage Lottery Fund

A Historic Landscape Survey of Blaise Castle Estate published in 1993 showed that much of the designed landscape was in a poor state of repair. As a result of this Bristol Parks made a successful application for Heritage Lottery Funding in 1998 to restore the historic landscape and public park.

The Heritage Lottery Fund agreed to provide a total awards of £4.3 million towards the total cost of the project, now standing at £6 million.

The attached pdf, 'Heritage Lottery Fund Project' (see below) provides details of the project elements, spend and completion status. More details of all the developments at Blaise Castle Estate since the beginning of 2000 can be found in the .pdfs of the estate newsletters, also attached in the 'related documents' section below.

Management, maintenance and security

If you have any comments, queries or concerns about the management and maintenance of Blaise Castle Estate, please contact Bristol Parks on the contact details below and we will ensure your information is promptly actioned.

Publications

A number of publications are available to help you plan your visit. The Blaise Castle Estate Discovery Pack, maps, an orienteering course, and several other publications are available at Blaise Castle House Museum, the café, or at Leisure Services Reception, Colston House, Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5AQ. You can also contact us on the details below for further information.

Contact us

Ring the Blaise Castle Estate Manager on 0117 353 2268, Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm (4.30pm Friday) or email the Blaise Castle Estate Office  Alternatively you can text us on 0771 039 6713 to report flytipping, graffiti, or make any other comments about Bristol's parks and green spaces. Please provide as much information and specific details as possible about the location attaching any supporting photographs. We will only call you back if we require further information.

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