All About Avon Gardens Trust

The Avon Gardens Trust has published a range of books by authors who are considered experts in their field. The volumes are extensively illustrated with many unfamiliar views and maps, and contain fascinating accounts of local parks and gardens, the people responsible for their creation and those who worked in them.

The Trust was born out of concern that our heritage of parks and gardens is a fragile resource, constantly under pressure from inappropriate development or neglect. Britain has a continuous garden history stretching back more than 500 years. Our gardens and parks have been described as among the country's greatest treasures, but are often not recognised as such.

For these reasons, the Trust is particularly active in conservation case work. By commenting on planning applications and giving evidence at public inquiries the Trust has successfully defended a number of historic parks and gardens in the area. The Trust has advised on research, and the obtaining of grants for conservation and restoration projects in the area.

The Trust has produced a Gazetteer of Historic Parks and Gardens in Avon which requires constant updating as new sites come to light or additional information is discovered. In order to preserve historic gardens they must first be identified. To this end, the Gazetteer has been adopted within the local authority Development Plans for the area and provides an invaluable source to evaluate whether any planning application may affect an important garden site.

Avon Gardens Trust works with the other county trusts via the Association of Gardens Trusts to raise national and governmental awareness of these issues.

Registered Charity No: 900377

By becoming a member you can help support this work and also enjoy activities and information provided by the Trust.

You can enjoy a programme of visits to gardens that are not always open to the general public, a newsletter and bulletins. Occasional seminars or courses are also run and the AGM is held in July at a garden or historic house that is usually combined with a social event.

Membership runs from July to June. Costs are:

Please enclose a cheque made payable to Avon Gardens Trust for the total price, stating your name and address clearly to:

Avon Gardens Trust
C/o Malcolm Douglas
30 Hurle Crescent
Clifton
Bristol
BS8 2SZ

The Avon Gardens Trust has published interesting and informative books by authors who are all experts in their field. The volumes are profusely illustrated with many unfamiliar views and maps and contain fascinating accounts of the parks and gardens described, the people responsible for their creation and those who worked in them.

Intriguing details about the parks and gardens in these publications include Russian guns, floral carpets and clocks, Bristol diamonds, Coade stone lions, commemorative statues, a boating pond in the shape of the Bristol Channel, a labyrinth, memorial trees, restrictive regulations in parks, band concerts and other entertainments, and much more.

Parks and Gardens of Avon (Harding and Lambert, 1994)
£7.95 (inc. p&p)
ISBN 0 7291 0230 0

The former County of Avon area has splendid historic parks and gardens, both urban and rural , which brilliantly illustrate the history of garden design and landscape parks in England. This profusely illustrated book provides an important and fascinating record of the development of these designed landscapes.

The books look at the origins and development of parks in the former Avon area and include maps and contemporary illustrations. Equally enjoyable at home or on a walk round the parks.

Thomas Goldney's Garden (Stembridge, 1996)
£3.50 (inc. p&p)
ISBN: 0 9518290 2 5

In the 18th century, Thomas Goldney, a Quaker merchant, created a remarkable garden which survives today in Clifton, Bristol. This booklet tells of the building of the famous grotto, the planting, the gardeners and the visitors who left accounts of what they saw. There are contemporary illustrations and maps in black and white and colour.

Publications are available from bookshops or by ordering direct from the Trust:

    Avon Gardens Trust
    c/o Malcolm Douglas
    30 Hurle Crescent
    Clifton
    Bristol
    BS8 2SZ

When ordering please enclose a cheque made payable to Avon Gardens Trust for the total price, stating clearly which book you require and name and address for posting.

If you wish to make an enquiry, comment on or contribute to the work of the Trust or this website please contact us.

Website conceived and developed by Avon Gardens Trust member Ruth Coleman.

Many thanks to David Lambert, Bristol Reference Library and Bristol Record Office for much of the source material used to create the resources on this website.

The Trust gratefully acknowledges the grant aid from Bristol City Council that has made this project possible.

Disclaimer

Avon Gardens Trust regrets that it cannot be held responsible for any accident or injury arising from the use of any material included on this website.

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