Friends of Blaise

caves

Butcher's Cave

one of the estate's 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 one 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 very 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 conceive the valley to be much wider and more extensive than it really is.

Blaise estate

Things to see

Echo Gate

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

Lilly Pond

Created by J.S Harfod Jnr during the mid 19th century. Concrete lined, surrounded by exotic trees species including Caucasian Wingnut and Wellingtonia.

Nursery

Blaise Nursey is operated by Bristol City Council to grow and supply plants for use across Bristol and other local authorities. they open up to the public for a few months a year. For the more details please contact Bristol City Council.

Rustic Lodge

Rustic Lodge is located near the Henbury Lodge entance to the estate and was built around 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 currently has a metal roof.

St Mary's Church

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 Egyptologist Amelia Edwards and coloured head and foot stones of Scipio Africanus, a negro slave.

The Royals

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

Goram

Giants Footprint

Local legend suggests that the footprint was 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 cavities 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.

Friends of Blaise

 

Friends of Blaise is a volunteer community group who work alongside Bristol City Council to support, conserve, improve and promote this wonderful estate and the wider Trym Valley.