It may not be as well known as some places in Bristol but Bishop’s Knoll is a site full of history.
With its main entrance at the junction of Bramble Drive and Bramble Lane in Stoke Bishop, it’s next to Bennett’s Patch, White’s Paddock Nature Reserve and Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve.
Bishop's Knoll was once part of a deer park dating back to 1274. The land was given to the Bishops of Worcester by William the Conqueror until the dissolution of the monasteries between 1534 and 1539 when Henry VIII gifted the estate to Ralph Sadlier.
In the late 19th century, Bristol merchant Peter Prankerd built a large estate house called The Knoll in the grounds.
In 1908, the house was bought by Robert Edwin Bush, a multi-millionaire who had made his fortune as a sheep farmer in Australia.
During World War One, Bush and his wife, Marjorie, turned the house into a makeshift hospital for Australian soldiers.
Following Bush’s death in 1939, the house became a hostel and then a school for nurses. In 1972, the house was demolished after a fire, and in 1983, the land was donated to the Woodland Trust by a building firm.
Here are 12 photos from our visit to Bishop’s Knoll.
1. Pergola
2. Steps
There are multiple steps throughout the dirt paths, making them not very accessible. The paths also become muddy and slippery when it rains.
3. Sculpture
A sculpture featuring a pair of badgers can be found near the heritage sessile oak, close to the main entrance by Bramble Lane.
4. Pergola
One of the rediscovered pergolas found in the terraced garden, freed from the overgrowth.