Friends of Blaise

Conserving, Improving, Promoting

contact@friendsofblaise.co.uk

blaise estate

things to see

echo Gate

in the past grazing animals would have maintained the surrounding hills in a more open and defined state. The Gradual encroachment of vegetation has impaired the echo effect. 

lilly pond

created by J.S hartford jnr during the mid 19th century. concrete lined, surrounded by exotic tree species including caucasian wingnut and wellingtonia.

nursery

Blaise nursery is run by Bristol city council to grow and supply plants for use across bristol and other local authorities. they open up to the public over the summer months. for more details contact Bristol city council.

rustic lodge

the rustic lodge is located near the henbury lodge entrance to the estate and was built 1840 on the instruction of j.s hartford Jnr. cross shaped, single storey with attic, stone built then covered in bark and roots. originally with a heavily thatched roof. in recent years the lodge has been subject to arson and vandalism. it current has a metal roof. 

the royals 

the royals is a large wildflower meadow that is located on the eastern side of the estate.

Caves

Butcher's Cave

one of the estates man made caves, butcher's cave, given its name because of the red tinge to the stones inside, resembling hanging joints of meat.

Robber's Cave

The other cave is robber's cave constructed with large rustic local limestone blocks over a shallow excavated hole to serve as a feature for carriage drives to the castle.

Cottages

telephone cottage

telephone cottage is located just behind the main house and was the first house in henbury to possess a telephone. it formed part of the "call offices" system to which messages could be taken and transmitted. used by blaise estate house and later contained the henbury village public telephone.

woodman's cottage

woodman's cottage is located in the heart of the estate and was built in 1798 to help form one of Humphrey repton's landscape proposals. intended to be viewed from the estate house with smoke from the chimney lingering over the opposite wood thus making the imagination covcieve the valley to be much wider and more extensive than it really is.

Goram

giants footprint

local legend suggests that the footprint way created in a fit of rage by the giant goram. in fact it is an area of horizontally bedded carboniferous limestone, exposed through glaciation some 10,000 years ago. the cavaties are created where rock has been dissolved through the passage of water down vertical joints.

Goram's chair

a pair of rugged limestone outcrops, which according to local legend provided a resting point for the giant goram in his endeavours to createthe gorge.

Blaise estate

St mary's church

St mary the virgin

The church of st mary the virgin dates back to 1093, with various rebuilding over the years until extensive refurbishment in 1878. look out for two notable graves; an obelisk memorial to the egyptoligist amelia edwards and coloured head and foot stones of scorpio africanus, a negro slave.