Ashton Court

Ashton Court, near Bristol has a fine country mansion in 850 acres of woodland and meadows, just two miles west of the city centre, with free entry and usually free parking.

Its facilities include:

• woodland and meadows

• mansion house and gardens. The mansion itself is not open for public viewing, but there is free access to the mansion gardens and in the stables area there is a visitor centre and Cafe.

• two deer parks, or at least enclosures, for both Red and Fallow Deer, although Wild Roe Deer have been seen at Rownham Plantation,

• 5 lodges, including an impressive Clifton Lodge, Clarken Coombe Lodge, Church Gate and a more modest Kennel Lodge

• Pitch & Putt Golf

• miniature railway at Ashton Court Station

Roy Parkhouse

The Deer Parks

The Red Deer can be seen from the Rownham Plantation on the south facing slopes of Rownham Hill and immediately above the red deer park. It is easy to reach from the mansion car parks, walk up the hill a short way and you reach a gateway into the red deer enclosure. Walk along an unfenced path and after about 150m you get to the plantation. Inside the plantation the foot paths are narrow dirt tracks, but it is a good place to view the red deer. Also Summerhouse Plantation is very close the the car parks on either side of the mansion. Access from Kennel Lodge Road. From the car parks take a path up the hillside, which can be steep at times, the path runs along the east side through the red deer enclosure and give good views over the red deer park and a small dew pond.

The Fallow Deer park is central to the estate and can be reached from three car parking areas. From the Kennel Lodge Road car parks, you walk past the mansion and deeper into the estate, when the road forks go right for about 400m. When you reach the fenced deer park go left along the track to Clarken Coombe Wood, there is at least one footpath running through the fallow deer park. Fallow deer are more timid then the red and are more likely to be in the woodland area.

Access to the deer park - Enter the estate on Kennel Lodge Road, the red deer park is immediately to the right as you pass the University of the West of England's - Arts, Media and Design campus in Bower Ashton. Parking is also available in the Mansion car parks, which are very close to the deer park. Restoration has taken place to create unfenced footpaths to run through the red deer park and the best points to see them is from these which start at Kennel Lodge Road.

It also encourages other activities such as:

• cycling

• mountain biking via the Timberland Trail

• Orienteering

• horse riding

• Balloon Flights

• deer feeding walks

The estate is also the venue for the annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta in the summer and a Kite Festival at the end of the summer, as well as other events throughout the year and when these events are taking place there may be an entry fee.

Location: Ashton Court, Bristol Grid Reference: ST550718 Ceremonial County: Gloucestershire Map Link: StreetMap  Aerial photo: Google Aerial Photo Getting there: Access is via the A369, Clanage Road, through Clifton Lodge, or off the A369 at Abbotts Leigh, or from the B3128 near Long Ashton and about half a mile from the Clifton Suspension Bridge over the Avon Gorge. Access: Access from Ashton Road, Kennel Lodge Road or from the A369 Leigh Woods (Clifton Lodge). Website: Own    Ashton Court - Deer Other Useful Websites: Church Gate at Ashton Court        Wiki Email: Address: Ashton Court, Long Ashton, Bristol Postcode: BS41 9JN Telephone: 0117 963 9174 Opening Times: Open all year Charges: Free to the public Nearby Locations: Clifton Suspension Bridge Other Location Pages: Deer Topic Index     Where to Photograph Deer in the UK  Notes:

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