Historyof Bower Ashton and its near neighbours
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Sections on the history page, more or less in date order:
More information on Bower Ashton's History on other pages & websites -
Burgh Walls or Bower Walls Iron Age FortBurwalls Wood lies between the Police Station on Clanage Road and Leigh Woods, with Burwalls House (below left) very close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Its one of two on the gorges west side the second just a little further down the gorge is Stoke Leigh. The name Burgh Walls (I assume) has come down to us as Burwalls.
Walk along Clanage Road, go right after passing the Police Station. then immediately left into the woodland, this quickly takes you through the wild orchard. If you continue upwards you reach Leigh Woods through the National Trust's Rownham and Burwalls Woods. Its a reasonable if steep woodland path with steps and the odd view.
Roman Pottery in Smyth FieldThe new building at Ashton Park School, had a Archaeology Watching Brief Report, reported in Feb 2011 by AOC Archaeology Group - AOC Project No: 30338.The study included 4 trenches within the Ashton Park School area only natural or recent building debris was found. The study did however note that within Bower Ashton's boundaries, Smyth Field (the field immediately below the Ashton Court Mansion), Roman Pottery finds were noted during early 20th Century pipe laying.
St. Johns Chapel or the Chapel of St. James
The Victorian map shows the site of St. Johns Chapel in the pasture opposite the Smthye Arms (now the Dovecote).
On more recent maps it shown as St. James Chapel as it does in a recent archaeological report made during a partial rebuild of Ashton Park School ending in February 2011.
A Wessex Archaeology report in 1996 estimated that the chapel and the likely village of Bower Ashton it supported was deserted at sometime in the 13th or 14th Century. My added assumption is that this was caused by the Black Death that reached England in the Mid 13th Century.
The Smyth Arms Public HouseWhen a national chain bought the Smyth Arms and renamed it. I thought it was a shame to lose the local connection with the Smyth's of Ashton Court. It is after all very hard to miss the south face of the Smyth family's mansion house on the hillside above the pub.Its worth noting though that pubs have always changed names to take advantage of what's popular at the time. A 1840 map I came across gave the pub the name of the Coach and Horses. The current pub owners have a page on the pub which says it was renamed (to the Smyth Arms) in 1749. Maybe an old map was re-used and dated 1840, or perhaps another local who didn't like the previous change kept the old name? However I do hope the current or the next owner take more advantage of there local links by taking back the old name of - The Smythe Arms!
'The Drum' footpathThe Dovecote page (link above) mentions the nearby old footpath, known to locals as 'The Drum'.
Bower Ashton Strawberry GrowersThe link below is about an an fraudster claiming Ashton Court's inheritance when there was no direct male line to inherit. Bower Ashton's strawberry growers get a brief mention.
Wellington Cottage.
Ashton Meadow & Ashton Meadow Sidings - 1913
Ashton Meadow Sidings from Ashton Meadow in 1913.
The footbridge in the photo below over the railway line is still there,
with the Police Station (mounted police and dog section buildings) now immediately behind the foot bridge from this viewpoint.
Note the rowing boat on the right hand side on Colliter's Brook. Colliter's Brooks is now culverted in this area and tidal controlled. You can also just about see the path leading down to the riverside and Rownham Ferry, near the centre of the photo.
The White City - Bristol International Exhibition - 1914There is no real physical reminder of the 1914 Bristol International Exhibition remaining. The 'White City' was a local name for the event, which at least retains one local link with the White City Allotments, accessed from the Stone Yard roadway off of Clanage Road.
Reece Winston's Bristol as it was books have quite a few photos on this. They note the new use of early flood lighting, perhaps supplied by Christy Brothers electric generators at Kennel Farm. The Flickr link below gives more details on the Bristol's Own regiment and a photo of 'the white city'. The last Flickr link, is a rather poignant photo of Bristol's Own regiment marching to war after being billeted in the exhibition buildings. It shows officers and troops marching over the then double decker road and rail Ashton Avenue Bridge.
Christy BrothersHi tech Bower Ashton? Not now but before WW2 Bower Ashton was the head office of the North Somerset Electric Supply Company. With a 33kV generator (the largest in the area) at Kennel Farm - see the 19th C Map top right or the St. Johns Chapel close up above.Kennel Farm is long gone now, beneath the A370, the Park and Ride and other developments.
Bristol and 'Near Bristol' Family History SocietySorry I can't bring myself to give further publicity to the undead name that the unmissed region 'Near Bristol' refers to. I think the civil transfer of Bower Ashton to Bristol from Somerset was in the 1930's by the way but I could be wrong.The New Inn on the River Avon as a laundry fits in with my Fathers recollections of a Chinese laundry there as well.
WW2: American Bases, POW Camps and Ashton CourtThere were two American bases in the area, one between Ashton Vale and Bower Ashton, near Colliters Brook. The second was in Ashton Court with Nissen Huts in Summerhouse Plantation. Ashton Court was also used to hide various military vehicles prior to the D-Day (6th June 1944) invasion. The Flickr photo and article shows the 'Bower Ashton' camp in what I guess were its American camp days. After D-Day it was used as a italian prisoner of war camp.
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The orchard mentioned in the first link above, is still there.
With a public footpath running through it.
Its the quickest way (by foot) to get to Leigh Woods, it also avoids crossing the A369 (twice) on Rownham Hill.
