Oldbury Court and Snuff Mills

About

Oldbury Court is a beautiful and diverse estate, combining woodland and riverside paths with historic parkland and excellent children's play facilities. Only three miles from Bristol city centre, the estate is a great place for a family day out, featuring big green spaces and picnic areas, and is popular with walkers for its varied landscape and panoramic views.

Play area

Oldbury Court has an exciting play area centred on a water and sand play zone with a pirate play ship. There’s also a café kiosk with terrace seating providing refreshments. Designed to be accessible for wheelchair users the play area includes an accessible roundabout, seesaw and nest seat swing amongst other equipment suitable for disabled children.

There is also a variety of play equipment for toddlers including toddler swings, springy seesaw, springies, toddler spinner and embankment slide. Equipment for older children include a dramatic rock feature with rope bridge, a slingshot, dish spinner, swings and zip wire. The whole play area is fenced to be dog free and includes lots of natural play features including logs, boulders, a woodland den area, picnic tables and plenty of open grass to run around on.

Back to nature

Beyond the parkland, you can follow the path down to the river Frome, where paths lead either towards Frenchay, or in the other direction, towards Snuff Mills, a beautiful and historic section of the Frome Valley Walkway. You'll find it hard to believe that you are so close the the centre of a bustling city, on a walk that could see you catch a glimpse of kingfishers, herons, foxes, owls, bats and even deer.

History

Oldbury Court Estate was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1066 when a riding man is shown as holding a carucate of land. By 1485, one third of Oldbury was in the hands of the Kemys family who sold the land, including the house, to Robert Winstone in 1667. By 1715 he had also bought the land on both sides of the River Frome which still belongs to the park today.

In October 1799 Thomas Graeme bought the estate and called in Humphry Repton, the famous landscape designer, who made substantial changes to the character of the grounds around the house.

Graeme died in 1820 and the property eventually passed to the Vassall family, relatives to Graeme’s sister. The Vassalls held the estate until 1936 and with no male heir, the last descendent of the Vassall family sold the estate to Bristol Corporation (today Bristol City Council).

A fire in 1948 severely damaged the coach house and burnt down the stables. An architects report revealed the poor condition of the main house and unfortunately it could not be saved. By February 1949 the house had been demolished.

Today, Oldbury Court Estate is an important leisure and recreational area in Bristol, and is well worth a visit.

Toilets (including a disabled toilet) and baby changing facilities are available).

Parking costs £1 for 1 hour; £2 for 2 hours and £3 for 5 hours.

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