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Blaise
Castle is, in fact, a folly, built on the site of St Blaise's
Chapel, an outcrop which was originally a Roman camp.
Now owned by the city council, it was built in 1766 and was
used by its owners as a summer house.
The gothic castle has now been renovated and is open on Sundays
during the summer.
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| See
several 'chocolate box' cottages on the estate |
The
grounds, designed by Humphry Repton, are a series of wooded
glens, mossy outcrops of rock and winding paths down to the
wooded gorge.
The
hamlet
His boss, John Harford (a wealthy merchant and banker)
loved all things rustic and also commissioned a small hamlet
of storybook appearance with beautiful thatched roofs and
Jacobean chimneys - the nearby Blaise Hamlet.
There
are nine cottages in the little village built around a green,
complete with a weather vane and water pump - and are well
worth a look.
For
the romantics there is Lover's Leap (a dramatic precipice
towering above the gorge) and many picturesque walks through
the grounds.
Along
the trails you can also find Goram’s Chair (the giant’s resting
place – an immense limestone rock group), the Robber's Cave,
earthworks and Iron Age fort and the mysterious fairytale
cottage the Inner Lodge – a beautifully-crafted, unique wooden
house.
House
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| Blaise
House is the home to a museum of everyday life |
The
estate's house was built of Bath stone in 1796 and is now
a museum of everyday life.
It is open from April 1st – October 31st from 10am - 5pm,
Saturday- Wednesday and entry is free.
The
exhibits include a fascinating collection of antique domestic
equipment, toys, games, costumes and textiles.
There is also Humphry Repton’s original red book, which contains
drawings and paintings of the landscaping in the estate.
At
the back of the main house is a thatched dairy, designed by
John Nash.
Down
in the gorge, at the side of the river, is Stratford Mill,
a water mill brought here in the 1960s to preserve it from
demolition.
Children
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| There
are plenty of picturesque trails to discover yourself |
There
are two excellent play parks, one of which is especially aimed
at the under fives.
There are also cricket and football pitches in the estate,
(to book call 0117 922 2789), and a two-mile horse trail.
The
estate is an ideal place to see nature, with different woodlands
to explore and boasts rare species of birds, butterflies and
flowers.
How
to get there
Blaise Castle Estate is in Henbury in the north-west of Bristol.
Entrance to the estate grounds is off Kingsweston Road on
the B4057.
Entry to the estate grounds is free.
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