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Derelict Ashton Court lodge to be saved
Built more than 200 years ago as the main entrance to Ashton Court, the Lower Lodge used to be a place where the wealthy Smyth family would impress dignitaries and landed gentry if strolling through the grounds in bad weather.
But the historic lodge in the grounds of Ashton Park School has been abandoned for more than half a century and derelict for a decade.
is needed now More than ever
Its future is now brighter with the one million pound Lower Lodge Gateway Project – a partnership between the school, The Bristol Buildings Preservation Trust, Bristol City Council and South West Bristol Cooperative Learning Trust – announcing that they will fully restore the building and turn it into a heritage hub.
The restoration of the lodge, built in 1805, could be completed as early as autumn 2016, with funding from a £550,000 Heritage Lottery Fund the Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England, The Mercers’ Company, and Bristol Visual and Environmental Buildings Trust.
Once restored it will be the only lodge at Ashton Court open to the public, and available for use by schoolchildren for educational activities, members of the local community and the general public for venue hire, meetings and events, as well as open day visits.
Anthony Negus, chair of Bristol Buildings Preservation Trust, said: “This is a very exciting day for all involved in this project to save Lower Lodge and turn it into a heritage hub.
“Through its restoration, we will be able to learn about and communicate the history, culture and heritage of communities that are and were linked together through this small and beautiful building.
“The project will explore how the lodge’s history connects to the present day and the future.”
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