The
peaceful Ashton Court
Estate lies just across the River Avon from Bristol. In
1545 a ristol
merchant named John Smyth bought Sir
Thomas Arundell's estate at Long
Ashton
and in the following
year he purchased more land in the parish formerly owned by
Bath
Abbey. John had made
his money from exporting cloth, leather, lead and wheat to Spain
and
France and importing
oil, dyestuffs, wine, iron, fish and salt. John's descendants rebuilt
and
enlarged the house,
creating the mansion that can be seen today. His grandson Hugh was
knighted
in 1603 and his
great-great-grandson, also called Hugh, was created a baronet at the
restoration
of King Charles
II. The Smyths, who also owned coal mines in Bedminster, lived
on
the estate for four hundred
years. When the Hon. Esme Smyth died in 1946 the house
fell
into disrepair. However
in 1959 the estate was purchased by Bristol City Council which
began
a process of restoration
that continues to this day. The park is now open to the public
and
covers 850 acres of
woods and grassland, including two 18-hole pitch and putt courses.