News / Ashton Court Estate
The future of Ashton Court Mansion discussed
Despite its impressive exterior, the findings of Purcell consultant Niall Phillips concluded that “60 per cent of the building is in appalling condition and can’t be used under any circumstances.”
This is according to a recent report of the condition of Ashton Court Mansion.
The findings and potential funding solutions for its restoration were presented to the public at City Hall. Figures for the restoration of Ashton Court Mansion in all have a top range of £21m and the solution put forward by the Purcell is the utilising the third sector.
is needed now More than ever
The third sector plan includes funding from multiple sources such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund. However, the suggestion of selling the six acres of allotments of the 850 acre grounds and allotments caused a controversial murmur in the meeting room. Public appeal and volunteers are another source of support the project will also rely on.
Purcell projects have succeeded in using the third sector method for restoration projects such as Cardigan Castle, where money for the restoration was pooled by repurposing the building into office spaces, holiday lets, and a restaurant. The majority of the project, which lasted ten years, was paid for by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Purcell believes a process of a similar nature will be applicable for Ashton Court Mansion.
Cardigan Castle went under a similar restoration through National Lottery Funding – photo courtesy of Wikimedia
While Bristol City Council owns Ashton Court as a whole, Bristol Civic Society has championed the small progress so far in making the issue of Ashton Court Mansion known. Chair of Bristol Civic Society, Simon Birch, said: “It’s not a question of saying to Ashton ‘the council will do it’. The council won’t do it. We can’t let a building like Ashton Court fall down. Something different has got to happen and it needs to happen quickly.”
The discussion was then opened up to the room:
· Artspace Lifespace announced their event to find out what the young people of Bristol want for the future of Ashton Court
· A Kings Weston House resident announced an opportunity for their takeover of the building.
· A representative of Ian Johnson, owner of the Clifton Observatory and Clifton Docks Railway, announced Johnson would be preparing a proposal for the future of Ashton Court to Bristol City Council.
· A local funeral director proposed the idea of part of the grounds to be re-purposed as a natural burial site.
· Other ideas from Niall Phillips included Ashton Court grounds being the host to events such as Bristol Balloon Fiesta.
Finally, former mayor George Ferguson said: “All I would ask is everybody in this room, whether they’re the council, whether they’re commercial whatever they are that they retain an element of open mind. Don’t close minds to solutions. Let’s make sure that we are not here in five years time saying the same things.”
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