Blaise Estate Kings Weston Down Walk Leaflet
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P Please beware. Steep Coombe Dingle inclines and drops in this area. Car Park Please note that this walk is not suitable for buggies. POINTS OF INTEREST Cherry Orchards Arbutus walk BLAISE CASTLE ESTATE Ornamental woodland POINTS OF INTEREST path linking the Blaise Castle and Kingsweston Ancient Earth Henbury Estates. Originally Works Hill Lodge planted with Arbutus Faintly discernible Lilly POINTS OF INTEREST Potters Pond Shrubs, but now mainly large circular rise Point Laurel.. possibly indicating Roman Road historic presence of Thought to be part of stock pound. route from Sea Mills to Gloucester Golf (C43AD - 410AD. course Hazel Brook Rustic Drive Lodge Rhododendron Walk Hazel Brook 5 Tarn 7 6 Woodman’s Lake Kings Weston Cottage 4 Down 9 8 POINTS OF INTEREST 3 Echo Gate Kings Weston Down In the past, grazing animals would have maintained the Blaise surrounding hills in more open Castle POINTS OF INTEREST Walk and defined state. The gradual Kings Weston Hill Fort encroachment of vegetation Evidence of single ditched Iron route/distance has impaired the echo effect. Castle Hill 2 Age enclosure. Flint heads and Dairy Approx. 11/2 miles/35 minutes. Drive sling stones revealed during Garden Café, toilets and Estate excavation. Through woodland and up to the Office Iron age hill fort. 1 Blaise House Play area Car park P route difficulty Easy. The walk follows defined woodland paths and grassland. Approx. 3 points of interest pink miles/1¼ hr. purple Royals blue Gorge orange Castle walk walk walk walk Find out about events happening Hard walk Walk Walk Walk Iron Age Hill Fort, Echo Gate, 1 in Blaise Castle by visiting: Rhododendron Approx. 1¼ miles/ Approx. 1 /2 miles/ Approx. 1¼ miles/ Arbutus walk, Kingsweston Down 50 mins. Easy walk 50 mins. Hard walk 40 mins. Easy walk www.blaisecastleestate.co.uk Walk and wildflower meadows. BLAISE CASTLE ESTATE Start at Blaise Cafe. With your back to the cafe, 1 bearing slightly to your right walk across open green to the tree line. Tree line 2 Keeping the woods on your left, continue over a small Blaise Estate is a Grade II listed historic landscape rise, and follow the field round, heading towards the wooden bench with recorded human activity dating back 2,000 in the distance. years. It became a ‘pleasure park’ to a variety of wealthy private owners and has been influenced 3 At the bench turn to your right, proceed up the path entering the through the landscape designer Humphrey Repton. woods, passing a metal gate post. This is the remains of Echo Gate. It was purchased by the Corporation of Bristol in 1926 for £20,175. 4 At path junction bear left along a straight stony path known as The Heritage Lottery funded a project to restore Arbutus Walk. this historic landscape and public park – an investment of approx £6.5 million. Visitor facilities Continue along this path and turn right at the sharp bend. including a café, play area and performance space 5 Follow the woodland path until you reach the junction with the have been introduced whilst the historic nature of the site has been conserved. route of the old Roman Road. These circular guided walks have been developed 6 At this point, turn right up hill onto Kingsweston Down. to provide reassurance and information for those who wish to experience all the estate offers. This Continue into centre of Down and turn right toward Hill Fort, includes spectacular views, the castle folly,lakes, 7 Steps leading down to Echo Gate scheduled ancient monuments, the 18th Century crossing remains of ancient circular earthworks. mansion, unique rock formations and designed landscape features. 8 From the Hill Fort go through gateway located in the far left corner between the information board and bench. Varying in length, all walks will contain relatively steep ascents/descents. Care should be taken on cliff edges 9 Follow the steps down arriving back at and steep slopes. Echo Gate. contact us 10 Follow the tree line back to the Cafe. www. blaisecastleestate.co.uk [email protected] Bristol City Council is 0117 963 9174 grateful to the generous financial contribution made by the Friends of Blaise towards production of these leaflets BD4065 Design and print by Bristol Design 2014 A map of these directions is printed over Echo Gate.