This gallery features photographs of Bristol parks and green spaces. The Downs are doubtless the city’s most familiar public space. However, Bristol has numerous leisure areas, helping to make it a truly green city.
Parks in central and outlying regions offer a wealth of opportunities to walk, cycle or simply relax outdoors. For a comprehensive list of these spaces visit: http://www.bristolparkhive.com
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The lake at St George Park, Bristol. The Victorian park’s attractions include shaded avenues, a skate park, tennis courts, bowling greens and fishing in the lake
Looking up to the old carved bench that offers walkers a resting place at The Daisy Field, Lamplighters Marsh, Shirehampton
Evening light falls on a pathway through Oldbury Court Estate, Fishponds. Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1066, the Estate benefits from the work of famous landscape designer Humphrey Repton who was called in to undertake major works at the end of the 18th Century. It was sold by the Vassall family to what is now Bristol City Council in 1936
The River Frome at Snuff Mills, Stapleton. The park takes its name from ‘Snuffy Jack’, a one time team member at the old stone mill close to the park entrance
The Water Maze in Victoria Park, Bedminster, designed by Peter Milner and constructed in 1983/84
The Dower House on Purdown Hill in the Stoke Park Estate, Bristol. Originally built in 1553 by Sir Richard Berkeley, the Grade 11 Listed house was converted to apartments in 2004.
Kings Weston Estate provides some 300 acres of parkland, 10 miles from Bristol city centre. It is the location for Kings Weston House, a Grade 1 Listed building designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and completed in 1719. The House has served as a family home, hospital, School of Architecture and Police training centre. Today it is a residence, conference and wedding venue.
This tree and bench, at the top of the hill in Arnos Court Park at Brislington, together offer a sheltered lookout point across parts of the Bristol skyline. The park boasts a children’s play area, cycle Jump track and ‘rural’ walks. It is located close to the famed Arnos Vale Cemetery.
A man sits to enjoy autumn colours on some of the mature trees which are a feature of Greville Smyth Park in South Bristol. The park was originally part of the Ashton Court Estate, inherited by Greville Smyth in 1852.
A view from Ashton Court Estate towards the Bristol city skyline. The Estate dates back to the 11th Century. It covers 850 acres and some of the trees are nearly 1,000 years old. The Estate was bought by Bristol City Council in 1959. It sports a deer park, golf course, cycle tracks and horse riding trail. It is home to the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
Troopers Hill in St George, Bristol offers stunning views over the River Avon and across the city. Back in the 1600s it was part of a royal hunting forest. The chimney at the top of the hill was used in the 1700s for copper smelting. The site was bought by Bristol City Council in 1956 and won Local Nature Reserve status in 1995.
Clouds reflected in the lake at Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve, Stoke Bishop, Bristol. Once part of a country estate, the surrounding land was divided up in the 19th Century and sold for building. The adjacent wildflower meadow has grasses and plants no longer seen in today’s hay meadows.
Queen Square, Bristol after one of December 2015’s heavy downpours. The Square was originally planned in 1699 and finished in 1727. It is named after Queen Anne. In the 18th Century the Square was the most sought after place to live in Bristol but today it is largely offices.
The sculpture in Badock’s Wood which marks the 1300BC Middle Bronze Age burial mound at the location. The sculpture is the work of Somerset artist Michael Fairfax. The 10 hectare Woodland sits in a limestone valley between Henleaze and Southmead, Bristol.
‘The Gully’ is located in a woodland walkway between The Downs and the Portway in Bristol. It is accessed at the upper end via the restored Victorian Steps leading from The Downs.
Long shadows emphasise the contours of Perretts Park in Knowle, Bristol. The 6.65 hectare park was purchased by the Council from Lady Smyth of Ashton Court for £1,000 in 1923. £500 of this was provided by Councillor C R Perrett, hence the park’s name.
A bench on Redland Green, Redland, Bristol provides the ideal spot to enjoy Spring daffodils and the view across the city. The Green is a designated Village Green and home to the annual May Fair. It is also the location of Redland Parish Church, regarded as one of the finest Georgian buildings in the city.
Sunlight adds a shine to the wet path by Colston Weir, following a heavy downpour. The path alongside the Weir runs from Eastville Park, just East of the M32, towards Snuff Mills.
A pair of Merestones on the Downs in Bristol. They are part of a line of these stones, dating back to 883AD, running across the Downs and marking original parish boundaries.
The old tree which is a notable feature of Nightingale Valley, a small wooded area/wildlife corridor alongside Brislington Brook. The Brook runs through Stockwood, Brislington & St Annes before flowing into the River Avon. Nightingale Valley is accessed from Allison Road.
Looking up through the University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens to the Physics Building. Construction of the gardens, and of the architecturally important Royal Fort House which sits at their heart, was begun in 1758 by Thomas Tyndall. The Physics Building was funded by HH Wills, with construction started in 1921. Although owned by the University (http://www.bristol.ac.uk), Royal Fort Gardens are open to the public for much of the year.
This sunlit glade and waterfall are to be found on Brandon Hill, Bristol just below the Cabot Tower.
An afternoon stroll along the Zig Zag. The steep path runs from Sion Hill, close to the Clifton Rocks Railway, down to the Portway, some 200 feet below and emerges near the Colonnade.
Manor Wood Valley, part of the Bishopsworth and Malago Conservation Area, is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. This refers to an area 6 furlongs long and one furlong wide. Manor Wood today has similar dimensions and follows the course of the Malago stream.
A November sunset from the path alongside Circular Road, close to the Sea Walls, on The Downs, Clifton, Bristol. The location offers views to the Clifton suspension Bridge in one direction and Avonmouth docks in the other.
The sun goes down behind Blaise Castle. Set in the 650 acre Blaise estate, near Henbury, the Castle was built in 1766 by sugar merchant Thomas Farr who owned the estate in the mid 18th Century. The architect was Robert Mylne. The mock Gothic style castle is Grade II* Listed. It is a folly but was inhabited into the 20th Century.
Abbots Pool sits in a designated Local Nature Reserve just beyond the Bristol border in North Somerset. Accessed from Manor Road in Abbots Leigh, it is surrounded by mature woodland featuring large oaks and beech trees. The pool was originally used by medieval monks for fish farming.
Owned by North Somerset Council, some of the land is leased to the Forestry Commission.
A bright March day in Riverside Park (BS5). The Park sits between the M32 and the River Frome.
The River Frome winds its way towards the centre of Bristol before ‘disappearing’ below the city’s streets as it flows under Houlton Street.
The rock face that is a prominent feature of the Avon Gorge in Bristol. Sometimes referred to as ‘The Donkey Slide’, it juts out from Leigh Woods. The area forms part of the Avon Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Dappled light falls on the jetty alongside Siston Brook, close to Willsbridge Mill in the Willsbridge Valley local nature reserve.
The reserve is on the edge of Bristol but actually in South Gloucestershire.
The Valley is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was once a royal hunting forest known as Kingswood Chase.
A message spotted on the path at The Bommie. Is this a note in praise of Bristol or written to a very close friend? The city certainly raises passions among those who call it home.
The Bommie (BS4) is one of three areas making up the city’s Northern Slopes. It offers impressive views over Bristol and across to the Clifton suspension bridge, just visible in the background.
(Original image processed to create a film noir effect using Nik Collection, Silver Efex Pro 2.)
Modern houses in the foreground sit alongside older properties in this view from Glyn Vale, one of the three areas that, together, make up Bristol’s Northern Slopes.
White Tree Roundabout on Durdham Down in Bristol captured in a rare traffic-free moment.
The roundabout was originally built in the 1950s but the tree name is thought to date back to the 19th Century. The tree pictured is the latest of a number over the years to feature the distinctive painted trunk.
The entrance to Page Park (BS16) in Staple Hill captured on a summer day.
The Park was originally donated by Alderman Arthur William Page. It is just five miles north east of the centre of Bristol but actually in South Gloucestershire.
Park features include a central ‘clock tower’, a sensory garden, band stand and a new cafe and community space.
Looking out from Prior’s Wood over the M5 and across the Severn Estuary to Wales.
A few minutes’ drive from central Bristol, Prior’s Wood is just over the border in North Somerset.
Once part of the Tyntesfield Estate, the ancient woodland, near Portbury, offers a wealth of wildlife, vivid Bluebell displays in spring and peaceful routes for walking.
A dandelion puffball seems to have the ‘Seven Sisters’ trees firmly in its sights before releasing its seeds to the wind on Durdham Down, Bristol.
A Fallow Deer buck displays his impressive antlers in autumn sunshine while grabbing a snack at Ashton Court Estate, Long Ashton, Bristol (BS41).
The Estate boasts two deer parks, one for Fallow and one for Red deer.
This intriguing, small section of wall in Redland Green, Bristol is the only remaining section of an old boundary wall which once separated the common land of Redland Green from fields owned by John Cossins on which the houses of St Oswald’s Road and Cossins Road were built.
The valley area was not suitable for building and so was given to Redland Green.
The paddling pool at St Andrews Park, Bristol looks particularly tempting on a warm day.
Dating back to 1895, the attractive park includes many mature trees, including a European black pine that survived being hit by a Wellington bomber that crashed on 30th April 1941.
Although just three of the original iconic ‘Seven Sisters’ pine trees on Durdham Down in Bristol remain, a group of seven new trees has been planted nearby. This long lens view compresses the scene to show all ’10 Sisters’ together.
Birds take to the air above Backwell Lake. The Lake, a few minutes’ drive from the centre of Bristol, is just over the boundary in North Somerset.
Built in the 1970s, it is managed by Wessex Water and is home to 10 species of birds. These include swans, tufted ducks and grey herons.
October sunshine casts a shadow from the old carved cedar tree at Stoke Lodge, Bristol.
After the tree died, sculptor Andy O’Neill carved creatures including owls, foxes, hedgehogs and mice onto the trunk. The sculpture was commissioned by the Stoke Bishop, Westbury on Trym and Henleaze Neighbourhood Partnership through its Environment Group. It was completed in 2016.
This bronze equestrian statue of William III stands at the centre of Queen Square, Bristol. It is the work of John Michael Rysbrack and was erected in 1736.
The statue commemorates Whig support for the Crown & Parliament Recognition Act of 1689. It is Grade 1 Listed.
A surfer demonstrates his skill at The Wave inland surf lagoon at Easter Compton, near Bristol. Able to produce waves for all, from the absolute beginner to the expert and up to 2 metres high, the facility offers the chance to surf great waves just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of the city. (Details at: https://www.thewave.com)
Please note: This image is not available for third party sale or use.
The compact, but delightful, Easter Garden was created by local people in 1997 on previously derelict land between two residential streets off Upper Belgrave Road in Clifton, Bristol. It offers an unexpected haven just a stone’s throw from busy roads.
Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve at Portishead, just outside Bristol. The Reserve sits between Portishead Marina and the Royal Portbury Dock. It is a peaceful place to take time out to watch the wildlife.
A quiet scene on a glorious Spring day along the River Avon at Eastwood Farm, Brislington in Bristol.
The Farm is a Local Nature Reserve and a wildlife haven. It was designated as a nature reserve in 2008 and is now owned by Bristol City Council.
Two people take advantage of a warm day to watch yachts sailing on the River Severn not far from Littleton Upon Severn. The Severn Way runs alongside the river offering a tranquil walking route just outside Bristol, across the border into South Gloucestershire.
A walker emerges from the tunnel which runs from the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, Henbury, Bristol to the path leading to the park at Blaise Castle. The Listed tunnel dates back to around 1835.
A wood carving of a golfer’s grip photographed from one of the public footpaths running through Henbury Golf Course, Bristol.
There are numerous wood carvings in the city’s green spaces covering subjects ranging from animals to ‘mythical’ creatures.
One of the wood carvings to be found at Stoke Park, Bristol. The sculptures range from giant conkers to dragons and woodland animals. They are the work of Andy O’Neill, a chainsaw artist from Yate. Together they form the Stoke Park Sculpture Trail.
More information on Andy O’Neill can be found at: www.wildwoodcarving.co.uk
