BLAISE CASTLE FOLLY
how do we get to see inside?
The Castle open season for 2026 is now in full swing and then on the first Sunday of every month plus the bank holidays. These dates and any late changes will be shown on our facebook site. Openings will of course depend on weather conditions and the availability of at leat 3 volunteers . Could you be one of them?
IS IT A REAL CASTLE?
That depends on how old you are; for small children it is a very real castle, for the rest of us, unfortunately it is what we call a folly; it was fashionable at the time to build mock medieval structures mimicking the real things from 500 years earlier. At the time this folly was built (260 years ago), there was no need to have a fortress to defend against marauding enemies.
When was it built and for whom?
It was completed in 1766 for Thomas Farr, a rich Bristol merchant. It was commissioned by Robert Mylne to build the sham castle in Gothic Revival style
How Much Did It Cost?
£3000, which doesn’t sound much but would be close to £1/2M today, and to put in context was more than a quarter of the value of the whole Estate. Not bad for a building without its own water supply!
Why was it built?
Primarily as a status symbol, much as the very rich now have super yachts. It also provided a perfect vantage point from which the owner could view his Estate and check on his ships as they sailed up the Severn Estuary loaded with sugar and tobacco from the American colonies.
What was it used for?
Thomas Farr would show off his wealth with grand banquets in surroundings that mimicked a medieval banqueting hall – oak panelled walls, suits of armour in the alcoves and stained-glass windows. He would also amaze his guests with the views from the parapets, this being one of the highest points in the area.
Who owns it now and who opens it to the public?
It is 100 years this year, since Bristol City Council was bequesthed the Estate, and since 1981, our volunteers have ensured it can continue to be accessible. We have hosted some 50,000 visitors over that period.
The Castle has now been standing as the iconic centrepiece of the Estate for more than 250 years, while much around it has changed or disappeared.
The last ruins of the chapel, predating the Castle, were removed in the early part of the eighteenth century, when the estate was in the possession of the Smyth family of Ashton Court. The estate was sold in 1762 to Thom Farr, a sugar merchant who was to become Lord Mayor of Bristol in 1775. Possibly he regretted the removal of the ruins, for by the second half of the eighteenth century it was fashionable to have such picturesque adornments to one’s grounds. Rather than rebuilding the chapel, he chose to spend £3,000 on a Gothic folly, the Castle, to the design of Robert Mylne and completed in 1766 . It was built with carboniferous limestone, dolomite conglomerate, lias limestone and pennant sandstone which was mainly taken from the hill itself and the surrounding area. Bath Stone was also used for ornamental purposes and was probably shipped along the River Avon from Bath to Sea Mills where it was hauled up to the site.
Originally the castle had a first floor which was lavishly furnished with oak-panelled walls and suits of armour in the alcoves, while down below the servants would be roasting mutton and beef on spits over two open fires. There were separate spiral staircases for visitors and servants with one providing access to the roof and from there a ladder onto one of the turrets to reach the very top to provide an even better view.
The Harford Family who later inherited the Castle made no discernible changes and in 1926 it was bought by the Bristol Corporation, now Bristol City Council. It remained pretty much intact until the 1950’s culminating in a disastrous fire that gutted the interior and destroyed the upper story and the spiral staircases. The exterior was partially restored but the fabric of the building continued to deteriorate until by the start of the 1980’s the Council prepared plans to demolish it. However, the local community protested and ensured its survival. It is due to their efforts that we still have it today.
