Stoke Park Estate is a gorgeous green space, located in Bristol, which sits beside the M32. It’s particularly known for the iconic yellow house that sits on a hill overlooking the rest of the park. This house, known as the Dower House, is a Grade II listed building.

The park, which is 270 acres, has a fishing lake, an all-weather accessible path, and different woodland areas for you to explore. Stoke Park Estate also has lots of intriguing history behind it.

The history behind the house

The Dower House is one of Bristol’s most recognisable features. The house was built by Richard Berkeley in 1563, although it wasn’t known as the Dower House back then. As well as serving as an MP, Sir Richard had a knighthood, which he earned in 1568, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

The house was passed down through the family and then rebuilt by Norborne Berkeley, with the help of English architect and garden designer Thomas Wright. It was kept in the same location that Richard Berkeley built it, the iconic hill you see it on today. Norborne and Wright also worked on remodelling the gardens and landscaping of Stoke Park Estate.

Norborne left for America in 1768 to avoid his debt in England and was appointed Governor of Virginia. He died in Williamsburg in 1770, and after his death, the house was passed on to his widowed sister, Elizabeth Somerset, the Duchess of Beaufort. After Elizabeth’s death, the house stayed in the Beaufort family and was their dower house, meaning it was probably used as a residence for the widows of the dukes of Beaufort. It's likely that this is where the house gets its name, as a ‘dower house’ refers to a house used by a widow, which was part of her late husband’s property.

The yellow Dower House on a hill overlooking some trees and a fishing pond.
Image - Duchess Pond at Stoke Park Estate © Bristol City Council

The Beaufort ownership of the house ended when it was sold in the early 20th century and formed the first part of the Stoke Park Colony, which was an institution made up of different wards that cared for both adults and children with learning disabilities. The colony was founded by the Reverend Harold Nelson Burden, a chaplain at Horfield Prison, and his wife Katharine Mary Burden.

After the passing of the Mental Health Deficiency Act in 1913, the Stoke Park Colony became the first certified institution that cared for people with learning difficulties in Britain. It was known as the Stoke Park Colony until 1950, when it became known as Stoke Park Hospital.

The colony was taken over by the NHS in 1948; however, conditions within Stoke Park Hospital became poor over time. The Stoke Park Hospital was eventually closed, with the last patients removed in 1985, and the official closing was in 1997. The Dower House was sold and converted into private flats in the early 2000s, which are still in use today.

An information board about Stoke Park Estate in a grassland overlooking the rest of the park.
Image - Stoke Park Estate. © Bristol City Council

Historic features of the parkland  

The Obelisk on Star Hill

Stoke Park Estate does come with a sad tale. Norborne’s niece, Elizabeth, tragically died on the estate after falling from her horse in 1760. An obelisk dedicated to her was constructed shortly after her death and can still be seen on Star Hill. 

The base of a 4-sided stone obelisk on the grassland of Stoke Park Estate
Image - Obelisk at Stoke Park Estate. © Bristol City Council

Clock tower

Hidden behind the Dower House stands a clock tower built in the 1930s. This clock tower was built as a memorial to the Reverend Harold Nelson Burden and his second wife, Rosa Burden, after their work for the Stoke Park Colony.

WW2 anti-aircraft battery

During World War II, Bristol was subjected to a large amount of bombing. This anti-aircraft battery, located on Purdown Ridge, was manned by the Royal Artillery Regiment and is evidence of Bristol’s participation in World War II.

The structure originally held mobile anti-aircraft guns in 1939. However, in June 1940, it became a permanent concrete battery. The original features of the structure included octagonal gun emplacements, blast walls and shelters, and integral ammunition bays. There was also a command post.

Purdown BT Tower 

You may have seen the tower within Stoke Park that stands at 70.1 metres tall. This is the Purdown BT Tower, a recognisable feature of Bristol. It was built in 1970 and originally used for the British Telecom microwave network. Although it no longer has the same use today, it’s still owned by BT and used to transmit radio and mobile phone coverage.

A tall telecommunications tower, cylindrical in shape, standing on a grassy slope surrounded by trees.
Image - Purdown BT Tower. © Bristol City Council

Dew ponds

Within Stoke Park Estate's green space, there are some dew ponds. This includes the ‘Pale Plantation Pond’ and the ‘Lower Newt Pond’, as referred to by the Stoke Park Community Group.

Although these two ponds share similarities in their cobblestone outline and historical past, they are visibly different in shape. The Pale Plantation Pond is the typical saucer shape for a dew pond. However, the Lower Newt Pond is a semicircle, making it unique.

Restoration work was started for both of these ponds by the Stoke Park Community Group. Over a thousand hours of work went into restoring the Pale Plantation Pond, which was completed in October 2023.  The restoration work for the Newt Pond, which began in 2023, is still ongoing. The Stoke Park Community Group was recently awarded funding from the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership to continue restoration of the pond.

An elevated view of Stoke Park Estate on the northern side of the M32 motorway in East Bristol
Image - Stoke Park Estate 

Exploring the park

If you fancy exploring Stoke Park for yourself, check out the different walks you can take. These three walks include route descriptions and some more historical facts about the park. There’s also a sculpture trail map and an activity sheet for kids.

When you are walking in the park, keep a lookout for the goats grazing. They were reintroduced to Stoke Park in February 2023 for the purpose of grazing the scrub around the anti-aircraft battery. You can learn about this on the Bristol City Council website. The goats are looked after by the organisation Street Goat, and if you’re keen on volunteering with the goats, you can contact Street Goat via their website.   

Two goats grazing by some bushes - credit Bristol City Council
Image - Goats grazing at Stoke Park Estate. © Bristol City Council

Enjoy your adventures in Stoke Park Estate! Make sure to tag us and include #VisitBristol in any of your Stoke Park photos to possibly be featured on our socials.

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