Blaise Hamlet is a collection of 9 grade I listed cottages situated to the North West of Bristol, near the village of Henbury. The cottages are all owned by the National Trust (admission to the hamlet is free) and all cottages are occupied by tenants.
It’s been at least 25 years since my last visit to Blaise Hamlet (although I have driven past the site hundreds of times since then) and I decided it would make the basis of an article for GP, for those interested in architecture and English heritage.
Parking my car in Blaise Castle car park I walked 5 minutes down the road towards the hamlet. Access to Blaise Hamlet is through an iron gate, off the main road.
I was greeted by a glimpse of the green through the dense trees.
The cottages form an oval around a green with a connecting footpath. On the green there is a water pump with a sundial.
Each cottage is unique and include brick chimneys and dormer windows with some having thatched roofs. The cottage gardens are planted in a Victorian cottage garden style.
The cottages were built around 1811 for retired employees of Quaker banker and philanthropist John Scandrett Harford, who owned Blaise Castle House (a 5-minute walk from the hamlet – now owned by Bristol City Council).
John Nash, master of the Picturesque style, designed the hamlet – Nash had worked for Harford previously. The hamlet is the first fully realised exemplar of the garden suburb and laid out the road map for virtually all garden suburbs that followed.
Having only my mobile phone with me I proceeded around the path taking photos of each cottage and the water pump / sundial on the green.
The Green and Water Pump / Sundial
It was a pleasant trip down memory lane and a nice way to while away half an hour.
Hope you enjoyed this article.
© text & images Reggie 2022
