C18 picturesque landscape park by Humphry Repton 1795 for John Harford overlaying sublime garden by Thomas Farr 1762, on medieval site of Henbury Manor, rebuilt 1688 by Sir Samuel Astry with formal gardens as depicted by Kip. Municipal park since 1926.
Balustraded terrace with vases; orangery; kitchen garden; stable block; dairy garden; formal garden; many parkland features; field archaeology; hanging woods; plantations; picturesque wooded carriage drives; Hazel Brook and Gorge; rhododendron walk; vista walk and ramparts presumed Iron Age but possibly by Farr 1760s. Lovers’ Leap, a spectacular view-point; Giant’s Soap Dish, a small pool; Goram’s Chair, a limestone outcrop; Goram’s Footprint, a ‘giant footprint’ in stone; bathing pool.
- Associated Buildings
Blaise Castle (LB II*) 1766 by Robert Mylne for Thomas Farr; Blaise Castle House (LB II*) 1795-98 by William Paty for John Scandrett Harford, remodelled and extended 1832-33 by Charles Cockerell for J. S. Harford Jnr, now museum. Terrace, balustrade & vases (LB II) 1832-33; curved orangery (LB II) 1806 by John Nash; stable block (LB II) 1801 by Paty; Stable Drive Walls (LB II) c1800; gate piers with carved seahorse heads (LB II); garden seat (LB II) 1832 by Cockerell to terminate Astry’s 1700 double avenue of elms; thatched Dairy (LB II) 1802 by Nash; kitchen garden walls (LB II) c1800. Gothic entrance lodge (LB II) 1795 by Repton; Timber Lodge, a cottage naturelle (LB II) 1760s or 1790s and floor of Root House 1760s (now lost) both in style of Thomas Wright; Woodman’s Cottage (LB II) 1798 by Repton; rubble bridge at Stratford Mill (LB II) 1798-99 for Repton’s drive; Stratford Mill (LB II) late C18 rescued from West
Harptree 1952 when Chew Valley flooded for reservoir; three bridges over Hazel Brook (LB II), two c1812 for Harford’s drive to Coombe Dingle, one C20 copy; Butcher’s Cave (LB II) & Robber’s Cave (LB II) 1760s, or 1790; some of the site is a scheduled ancient
monument. - Planning History
Henbury Conservation Area, Kingsweston & Trym Valley Conservation Area.