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Bower Ashton

Areas of BristolEngvarB from October 2013Places formerly in Somerset
Greville Smyth Park
Greville Smyth Park

Bower Ashton is a village in south west Bristol on the western boundary with North Somerset, lying within the Southville ward, approximately two miles from the city centre. Ashton Court estate, a 850-acre (3.4 km2) recreational area owned by Bristol City Council lies just to the north, the Long Ashton by-pass (Brunel Way, the A370) to the south and the River Avon to the east. The area is now mainly residential but also includes the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education (formerly the School of Creative Arts) of the University of the West of England, Ashton Park School, which is a specialist Sports College, as well as about 180 allotments in 5 different areas. Clifton Bridge and Ashton Gate railway stations are both now closed, but there is some pressure to reopen the latter as part of a rapid transit link from Portishead.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bower Ashton (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bower Ashton
Rownham Close, Bristol Ashton Vale

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Wikipedia: Bower AshtonContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.44166 ° E -2.62988 °
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Address

Rownham Close 12
BS3 2JN Bristol, Ashton Vale
England, United Kingdom
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Greville Smyth Park
Greville Smyth Park
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Bristol International Exhibition

The Bristol International Exhibition was held on Ashton Meadows in the Bower Ashton area of Bristol, England in 1914. The exhibition which had been planned since 1912 was a commercial venture and not fully supported by the civic dignitaries of the city which caused difficulties raising the funds needed. Most of the construction of the venues was from wooden frames covered by plasterboard and occurred in just 2 months prior to opening. It opened on 28 May 1914 was closed on 6 June. Further funding was raised and the exhibition reopened, but continued to struggle with lower than expected attendance and, following several court hearings, finally closed on 15 August just after the outbreak of World War I. The site covered 30 acres (12 ha) next to the River Avon and was served by two railway stations. The venues included: an International Pavilion and a concert hall, a replica of Bristol Castle, a representation of "Old Plymouth" with a replica of the Revenge and the Dominions Pavilion. Other attractions included a Scenic Railway roller coaster and buildings representing "Shakespeare's England". The entire site was lit by electric lighting including the Pageant Ground which had a grandstand holding 4,000 people. After the premature closure of the exhibition the site was used, until 1919, as barracks for The Gloucestershire Regiment. Some buildings became warehouses after the troops left but all had been demolished before World War II when the site was again used for troops and then squatters housing. There are no structures on the site which is now used for allotments, a cricket club and the horse and dog section of Avon and Somerset Constabulary. In 2022 construction started on housing on part of the site.

Bristol Archives
Bristol Archives

Bristol Archives (formerly Bristol Record Office) was established in 1924. It was the first borough record office in the United Kingdom, since at that time there was only one other local authority record office (Bedfordshire) in existence. It looks after the official archives of the City of Bristol, besides collecting and preserving many other records relating to the city and surrounding area for current and future generations to consult. It moved from the City Hall to newly converted premises in the former B Bond Warehouse in 1992. The office is formally recognised by the Lord Chancellor for holding public records, and it acts as a diocesan record office for the Diocese of Bristol. Major deposited collections include those of J. S. Fry & Sons, chocolate manufacturers, 1693–1966, and Imperial Brands (formerly W.D. & H.O. Wills, tobacco manufacturers), late 18th century – 20th century. However, for many years one of its best-known holdings was a single volume of judicial case papers bound in the actual skin of the 19th-century executed murderer John Horwood.Bristol Archives is part of Bristol Museums, along with Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, M Shed, Georgian House, Red Lodge, Blaise Castle, and Kings Weston Roman Villa. The core opening hours are Tuesday - Friday, 9:30am-4pm. In addition, on the first two Saturdays of the month, Bristol Archives is open 10am-4pm.Bristol Archives holds material related to the port of Bristol from the 13th century onwards. Further records are held by the Institution of Civil Engineers.