Events

Join us in June to explore the enchanting garden as we welcome the public during the Green Squares and Secret Gardens open day.

Things to see and do

Watch the birds and other wildlife around the pond, walk among well-maintained trees and plants, or visit the old turret and air raid shelter. More to see and do in these gardens:

• Garden map
• Trees and plants
• Wildlife and nature
• Old turret and air raid shelter
• Volunteer
• Instagram for our gardens

Garden map

Download the Clifton Hill House Garden map (PDF, 2,123kB)

Trees and plants

Step into our garden and you'll find big, beautiful Magnolia and Tulip trees that create shade and splashes of colour. On the upper terrace, classic David Austin roses mingle with hanging Wisteria. 

In the Mediterranean corner, you’ll find lively fuchsia blooms that attract all sorts of pollinating insects. Take a leisurely stroll on our neat lawns and paths, and enjoy our circular flower bed, where blooms change with the seasons. 

Visit the quirky Osage orange tree by the summerhouse. Its shady branches offer a cool spot to relax. You can also enjoy the peaceful woodland glade.  

We survey our trees annually, to monitor their health. You can see information about all our trees, with photographs, on our online map.

If you are in the garden, you use the QR codes on many of our larger or more unusual trees to find out more about them on the online map.

Seasonal interest

In spring admire the snowdrops and crocus on our grassy bank.  

In early summer, you’ll find elegant wisteria in full bloom.  

As summer advances, our vibrant meadow bursts to life with native plants and wildflowers. 

And in winter our garden is alive with the fiery stems of Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire', to keep spirits high even when the temperature drops.

Wildlife and nature

Our garden is great for wildlife. The pond is home to two friendly ducks, and you might also see foxes. Birds love our bird boxes, and our unique stumpery made from old logs provides shelter for toads and newts among the ferns.  

Our student residents have built a hedgehog house and bug hotel, making sure these animals have a suitable home.

Old turret and air raid shelter

The garden features a unique WWII air raid shelter built into a grassy slope which you can see from the south side. It is able to hold about seventy people. Two turrets at the bottom of the garden, one still in good condition, are leftovers from three houses built after the English Civil War (1642-1651). Earlier buildings in Clifton were torn down because they were outside the city defences.

Volunteer

Students and staff can join organised volunteering sessions helping the Gardens and Grounds team in our gardens.  

Volunteering activities include: 

• general maintenance including weeding and fence building 
• bulb planting and seed sowing
• building and maintaining homes for wildlife.

To find out how to take part in volunteering activities:

• staff, contact us
• students, find University-organised volunteering opportunities on the events calendar or volunteering opportunities organised with the SU in the Students' Union's What's On events list
• students, if you want to volunteer with us regularly, join the Students' Union's Conservation Group.

Instagram for our gardens

See what others are doing in the garden and add your own images #unibrisgardens or tag us in your stories @unibrisgardens.

Facilities

• Access
• Refreshments and toilets
• Seats and benches
• Code of conduct
• Hiring Clifton Hill House Garden

Access

There is a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced paths with some uneven terrain and steps.

Refreshments and toilets

The nearest University Source Cafe is The Balloon Bar. This is open to the public. 

There is a toilet at the Source Cafe. 

Find Source Cafe opening hours.

There are several local cafes and shops in Clifton Village and the Clifton Trangle which are a 10-minute walk away from the garden.

Seats and benches

There are several benches in the garden for you to sit on and enjoy.

Code of conduct

We expect all visitors to treat the space with respect and courtesy. 

• Take your litter home with you. 
• Keep dogs on a lead; only assistance dogs are allowed. 
• Clean up after your dog. 
• Supervise children. 
• Stick to paths, avoid disturbing wildlife, and don't damage property, trees, plants or lawns. 
• No barbecues, fires, camping, skateboarding, or aggressive cycling. 
• Follow additional safety instructions, if there are building works taking place.

Hiring Clifton Hill House Garden

You can hire Clifton Hill House Garden for your own event or function. 

To hold an event at Clifton Hill House Garden: 

• Staff, students and members of the public should contact our events team.

History of the site and the garden design

There has been a garden on this site for almost three hundred years. The earliest record we have of the garden dates back to 1746. This was a much larger garden, with orchards and vegetable plots. 

The landscape, consisting of trees, gentling sloping lawns and water features, remained in place throughout the Georgian and Victorian periods. 

In 2010 the garden was redesigned, with a curved pathway installed at the bottom to give the garden a distinctive 'sextant' shape. Elements of this layout can be seen in the gardens today. 

Research in Clifton Hill House Garden

Our gardens and green spaces are often used for research projects involving: 

• small mammals such as bats and birds
• larger mammals such as badgers and foxes
• insects such as moths and bees.

We welcome researchers and research projects from various disciplines, including archaeology, art history, biological sciences, geography and geology.

Learn more about doing research in our gardens.