ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF ASHTON COURT MANSION (FAM)

ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF ASHTON COURT

Ashton Court Mansion and Stables are Grade I listed & therefore judged to be of ‘exceptional interest’ & within the top 2.5% of all listed historic buildings in the country. There are over 600 years of surviving buildings.

The Mansion is also on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register as a building in slow decay & only 30% is in any sort of use today.

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FAM Mission Statement

• to work to promote an understanding & appreciation of the Mansion buildings & their history

• to support the conservation, maintenance & reuse of Ashton Court Mansion into the 21st century

• to develop, share & enjoy our knowledge of the grade 1 listed mansion & its communities

• to give support to Bristol Historic Buildings Trust (the leaseholders) in their aim to restore the Mansion for community use

• to give support to the idea that building & beautifying the mansion was for the many not just for the few, & should be seen as a living memorial to all those who lived & worked there & to those who contributed to its creation

History of the FAM

Ashton Court Mansion, owned and run by Bristol City Council since 1959, was closed to the public in December 2017.

In May 2018 Bristol Charity Artspace Lifespace stepped in to take on the running of the Mansion while options were being considered for its future. They opened the Mansion to the public for free whenever they weren’t running organised events, and welcomed 9,080 visitors to the house between May 2018 and December 2018 and 17,224 during 2019. On September 28th 2019, they concluded their programme of public opening with a free Heritage Day with tours run by the newly formed Friends of Ashton Court Mansion (FAM). In 2026 Artspace Lifespace left the Mansion and the Bristol Historic Buildings Trust took over.

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The need for a Friends Group for the Mansion was first identified in 2016 while working on the restoration of the Lower Lodge now called Ashton Gatehouse. 

The FAM was established in 2019 by Tish and Kathryn Chiswell Jones (Company Manager of Artspace Lifespace) when they joined forces and identified the need for a group of volunteers specifically focused on the Mansion. ​

In May 2026 Bristol Historic Buildings Trust started their 'tenancy at will' and in October 2026 expect to take over the lease to the Mansion.

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Vision

• to see the transformation of Ashton Court Mansion & Stables, from the tired, old, underused buildings to ones that celebrate the uniquely rich & varied tapestry of architecture styles & details

• to see them become welcoming, inspiring & uplifting for years to come