Ashton Court is one of Bristol‘s premier event properties and historic house and grounds. It is the site of the annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta and plays host to other national events. Sadly, parts of the impressive estate is in need of repair. The Ashton Court Gatehouse for the last few years has been closed to the public. Now, thanks to a lottery cash injection, it is once again open to visitors. Heritage Lottery Fund along with Bristol Buildings Preservation Trust and a host of others have made the grand re-opening possible. It will become part of the wider attraction of the site and draw in more visitors than ever before. Ashton Court is already a prestigious events space for the city.
About Ashton Court Gatehouse
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Built as a lodge in the early 19th century, Ashton Court Gatehouse is now within the grounds of the local school. Having stood empty for many years and in need of renovation, the project will see it reopen again this month. Once opened, it will become a communal hub for residents of the Ashton area of Bristol (although part of the site is in North Somerset and not the unitary city authority). It expects to welcome schools and community groups following a £500,000 refit, all thanks to local charities and lottery players.
The project has engaged locals from the start with local children asked to research the Ashton Court Gatehouse building history. Images, documents and a short film will all feature as part of the grand opening. This will also include a number of people who once lived in the premises (it was once a rental property). It was once the main entranceway between the court grounds and the local community, particularly for the coal workers community nearby. It became a symbol of Bristol’s success and will once again be at the heart of Ashton.