Address: Lower Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1BH
Thomas Goldney III a wealthy merchant, inherited the garden you see, following the death of his father in 1731. What Thomas Goldney achieved over the next thirty-five years was a garden combining the formal and informal styles of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Compared to the estates of his contemporaries such as Kingsweston, Stoke Park and Prior Park it was diminutive, encompassing only sixteen acres in its prime. But its reputation, as a garden of distinction spread, eventually becoming a popular destination for garden visitors and writers.
Comprising of 10 acres and including grade II listed gardens which are known for their five follies: ornamental canal, mock bastion, rotunda, gothic tower and most notably a grade 1 listed shell lined grotto, complete with its own river god and running water fountain. The gardens with orangery are regarded as a ‘hidden gem’ and have featured in many tv and film productions, among others the 1988 BBC Drama Series the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and the 2010 series Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
A popular wedding venue, the University Venues and Events team can be contacted here for more information.
