WHO ARE THE FAM?

CHRIS

When was your first time at Ashton Court? I started to visit in 2004 shortly after I moved to Bristol. I was immediately fascinated by the building.

What made you want to get involved with FAM? I was looking for an organisation to get involved in, where I could use some of my skills from my working life. When I saw the advert for FAM volunteers it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

How much did you know about the history of the House before getting involved with FAM? Not a huge amount. I have learnt such a lot since becoming involved.

What would you like to see happen to the House in the future? I would like to see it restored, conserved and given a sustainable future. One way in which the restoration/renovation could be carried out would be to use it as a way of teaching young people skills: both traditional - lime plastering, carpentry and joinery, stone masonry etc. plus modern building trade skills in other parts only being renovated. This would mean that the young people involved would have a sense of ownership and pride in the building going into the future.

One way to involve the public could be to let people/visitors see the progress being made on the building and how the traditional skills are being taught and learnt.

TISH

Tish is one of the founding members of the FAM. She was introduced to Artspace Lifespace after working on the Ashton Gatehouse project and has been the driving force of the collation of the huge swathes of information that make up the history of the 'architectural mongrel that is Ashton Court.

Ashton Court & me

My earliest memories of Ashton Court are from the 70s. I was working on an archaeology dig in the city centre and I’m sure someone made reference to work up at Ashton Court but as far as I know there is no archaeology record logged at the City Museum.

By late 80s I was working in building conservation and was aware that the bland pale Bathstone colour of the render at the west entrance had been changed to a vibrant yellow. At the time this was not dissimilar to the colour sported by the Dower House / ex hospital at Stoke Park, perched high above the M32 & I wondered whether it had been part of a job lot. Maybe the special type of paint used in Heritage industry for covering mixed substrates.

I have read recently this colour was chosen from paint scrapes of old render coats. Those buildings range over 500 years, were they all that colour? Certainly medieval buildings were full of colour inside & out with painted patterns that are still visible on old central & east European buildings at least until recently.

I have memories of parties & weddings in the ‘Music room’ which being an old stable block, is really not the best shape for a party.  Considering what a short time he lived there, Hugh Smyth did a lot of damage when he pulled down the medieval buildings & built the stables in the early 19th century.

The absence of any building interpretation at the site was another concern of mine & others & when history finally arrived with the heritage lottery works in the stable yard it was largely about 19th century characters.

Seeing more of the inside of the Mansion 5 years ago, I became aware of its great archaeological importance where not completely lost during the 1970s works, the generally dire condition of the NW wing & upstairs dereliction and the poverty of the joinery storage though this was hardly surprising after a 45 year wait. Furthermore, it was no longer watertight and maintenance regimes no longer adequate.

Why it is important to save: it is an object lesson in the history and archaeology of the region & a monument all those whose lives have been spent toiling here or afar to create this place & I don’t mean the Smyths. There is a huge amount of archaeology & untold history waiting to be discovered. There is a mass of building fabric that is better repaired & upgraded not pulled down & rebuilt. With the right vision and drive and knowledge it could become a unique and exciting place in  which to live, learn, work, visit & enjoy.

The 2013 Conservation Management Report speaks of a Conservation deficit ie the extra costs demanded by reversing the damage of decades of poor decision making for such an important and derelict group of buildings. This could not be met or paid off purely by future users but future users must generate sufficient income for all future maintenance and adaptations but unless it is all done to a high standard it won’t last long.

Much of the building is poorly presented with ‘inappropriate’ materials or totally stripped bare.  Although ‘regrettable’ in diplomatic speak, this should allow a thorough record & analysis which should then inform repairs & use & give way to preparing for a green & sustainable future.

‘Buildings’ should be repaired in phases, the least bad providing temporary useable space while other areas are upgraded for a use which respects their fabric & history and generates income.

There are also the ghosts of demolished buildings present as great scars on the back of buildings. This should be reversed with well designed partial replacements at least, providing modern access points, services, maybe kitchens & even covered parking, or work rooms, thus removing the ugly 1970s creations and allowing a open courtyard & full appreciation of some of the most historically and architecturally interesting elevations in the whole of Ashton Court, hidden at the rear of the west & SW wings.

Uses should be mixed & managed outside the City Council, with some parts generating high income & subsidising others more socially responsive.  Notwithstanding the apprehension of inserting modern services into grade 1 listed buildings, much of the damage was done long ago & more will be done if the decay is not reversed soon. Speaking generally:

The south facing upper floors should be used for high quality private accommodation which would have fared well in this unfortunate pandemic, providing a reliable income stream and a useful 24hr on site presence. With modern facilities, good wifi & frankly adequate parking available at the rear for the few, even the busiest of public holidays would not be enough to put off an ex city dweller looking for a room with a country view.

The upper floors of the west & NW wing are better employed for short term accommodation serving wedding functions or similar in the NW wing, but might also adapt to short term apartment stays.

Ground floor use is what most of the public nostalgically associate with public access. The NW wing, with careful conservation, being the most beautiful & delicate is most appropriate for weddings, private functions & specialist lets which might also include a thoughtfully restored 14th century hall or cross wing (sometimes known as the Old Refectory).  The great hall makes a robust party room & reception; this leaves 300ft or over 90m of useable space along the south facing ground floor for offices, training, conferences, exhibitions, art spaces & dining of various kinds whatever the economic climate or fashion demands.

Works to put the building on a long term sustainable footing should begin with a complete overhaul of all services, taking the very best green options together with high quality insulation. This could also be made a selling point for future users and is commendable if well planned and managed and carried through to the workface.

Using the Mansion for Apprenticeships & skills training across all the trades and in areas of specialist conservation is commendable however to be done effectively & to a high quality, as due for the building & everyone in the training process, it will normally take longer, cost more overall and should be seen as one interim phase in the building's history.

Parking demands often exceed provision even now and requires careful thought.