Yesterday I was on my way home and got distracted. So here is something on that big mysterious yellow house on the hill, that you see on your left as you head out of Bristol on the M32. This should be a familiar sight to you guys on the National Express or whatever (assuming you don't drive).
It's called Dower House and was built in 1553 by Sir Richard Berkeley and was previously used as a hospital and mental institution. It has been converted into some flats, which is it's current use. It's been featured on
BBC Bristol's alternative landmarks.
Getting to Dower House is fairly straightforward. It's located off Coldharbour Lane, the same road that serves UWE. A little bit further down (in the Frenchay direction) there is an area with new-build houses: the Stoke Park development, and it's amongst these that Dower House is hidden in. Impressively, the square that Dower House sits on is surrounded by new, but old-style (Georgian?) houses, which look rather nice. The clocktower in the foreground bears two plaques - one for Harold Nelson Burden, a priest, and one for Rosa Gladys Burden, his second wife. Together, they gave their estate (what is now the Stoke Park development and Stoke Park itself, I assume) and for his work on mental disorders (is that P.C.? my english isn't the best).
We'll take a walk, having parked Duke in the square. From Jellicoe Way (in the Stoke Park development), there is a path, which eventually takes you down next to the M32 and there are bridges and underpasses to get to the other side. Even further down, is the Pur Down BT Tower, which sits next to Lockleaze and also the Priory Hospital. This path is a rather nice path (although satellite images seems to show that it eventually runs out and turns into a muddy track - I did not walk that far.) and is frequented by walkers, cyclists and dog-walkers.
So I've walked down the path, and I'm now in Stoke Park (technically in Bristol City limits now), a little off the path. Unlike on the M32, you can really appreciate the landscape and the gentle rolling hills that is Stoke Park. With as much time as I'd like, I could appreciate Dower House's position, which feels like it's an impenetrable fortress.
A little bit further down, and I notice a monument on an adjacent hill. This is known as the obelisk in Stoke Park. (I don't know if it has a name) Some people seem to think it's a good idea to ride their motocross (off-road motorbike) around on Stoke Park and to vandalise, litter and start fires here unfortunately. And some people seem to think that vandalising this monument was also a good idea. It's seen
better days unfortunately.
The view from the hill that the Obelisk sits on, was amazing, on the other hand!
Anyways, time to head back - one last picture... of it's awesomeness.
Have a good week folks, speak later. =)
