Bristol's Blaise Castle House Museum

Overview

***Brand New Blaise Castle House Museum leaflet 2008 now available! - download your copy in the 'Related Documents' section below ***

Current temporary display at Bristol's Blaise Castle House Museum: the Cabinet of Curiosities...

..."the finest place in England" Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Situated in the beautiful parkland of the Blaise Estate at Henbury, the Museum is housed in a late eighteenth century mansion, and contains most of the Museums Service's social history collections.

Here you can see all sorts of familiar - and not so familiar - items from homes through history, treasured toys including the popular model train collection, and beautiful period costumes.

Blaise Castle House was built in 1796-98 for John Harford, a wealthy Bristol merchant and banker.  Inside some of the original ornamentation remains, such as casts of Classical and Neo-Classical sculptures and reliefs, including a set cast from the parthenon marbles.

You can also experience the beautiful Picture Room, restored to its Victorian splendour during the 1990's. The Picture Room is licensed for civil marriages, civil partnership cermonies and naming ceremonies and is available for private hire.

While the house was being built the grounds were laid out by Humphry Repton (1752-1818) a leading landscape gardener, and the Regency architect John Nash added of the dairy and the conservatory.

 

 

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Displays at Blaise Castle House Museum

 

Bristol at Home galleries

These galleries show some of the cooking, lighting, washing and other household equipment used in Bristol houses over the last three hundred years.

Here you can see how dogs were used to help with the cooking, what an early vacuum cleaner looked like, and find out why the weekly washing used to take a whole day.

Costume galleries

The costume collection is the fourth largest in the South West, however limited space only enables a very small sample to be on display at any one time.

Our nineteenth century costume gallery is currently being re-displayed.  This means that dresses previously in store will soon be on show, and we are also extending the date range.  The earliest dress is a white muslin day dress from about 1810, and the latest a gorgeous gold 1870’s bustle back outfit.

The second costume gallery is currently showing three late nineteenth century dresses, including a beautiful wedding gown from 1882, and a display of hats, shoes and accessories representing fashions in different decades of the twentieth century.

Toy rooms

Downstairs our toy room has cabinets of dolls dating from the 18th to the 20th century, including the Bristol pedlar doll and an unusual set of Dionne quints from the 1930’s.  And there are dolls houses, prams and early tricycles. Here you can also find a selection from our extensive collection of Brittons’ lead soldiers, and some beautiful toy train sets.

Upstairs are miniature tea sets, dolls house furniture, and tin plate trains, planes, cars and zoo animals!

The Victorian School room

The recreated classroom is much used by school groups, but is open to all visitors.  If you especially want to see this room it is best to visit on a weekend.

The History of Blaise Estate

Here you can see Humphry Repton’s Red Book of 1796, with beautiful watercolours showing plans for landscaping the park in a manner to befit the new house.

 

 

 

 

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Park Events

Blaise Castle open
FREE entry

Every third Sunday
April- October
Time: 2pm-4.30pm

Located at the top of Blaise Hill this 18th century mock castle, complete with circular tower and three turrets, has great views over the channel and North Bristol.

Tel: 0117 353 2266 for further information. Supported by the Friends of Blaise.

Hidden Blaise
Free guided walks

Sunday 29 June
Sunday 7 September
Sunday 23 November
Time: 10.30am

Explore the hidden parts of the Blaise Estate. Walks should take no longer than two hours. Some paths are steep and uneven, suitable footwear recommended and wheeled access may be difficult.
Tel: 0117 353 22 66 for further information.

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Location and contact details

Blaise Castle House Museum,
Henbury Road,
Henbury,
Bristol, BS10 7QS

Map showing location of the museum

Tel: 0117 903 9818
Email: general.museum@bristol.gov.uk

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Opening hours

Open all year, Saturday to Wednesday (closed Thursday and Friday), 10am-5pm. 

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Access information

Due to the age and layout of the house, access is restricted, with no lift and a staircase. No accessible toilet.

Please contact us if you would like more information.

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Getting there

Directions by Car

Exit M5 at J17 and take A4018 (sign posted West Bristol).
Carry on straight until 3rd roundabout then take the right turn into Crow Lane passing a small bank of shops on the right. At the end of this road turn right into Henbury Road. Go over the mini roundabout into the one way system. You will pass 'Blaise Inn' on your right and bend to the right.

Continue straight on to find the public car park about 300 yards on the left.

By Public Transport

Bus numbers 1, 40 and 40a all run from the city centre and stop near the museum.

If you are coming by train you can take the number 1 bus from outside Bristol Temple Meads station.  Walk down the station approach, cross over the main road and the bus stop is to your left.

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