Blaise Hamlet

A planned village in miniature

The hamlet was created by Bristol banker John Harford, who bought the Blaise estate in 1789 and later worked with the architect John Nash on a home for his retired staff. Each of the nine cottages is different, and they sit loosely around a shared green rather than in a row, which is what gives the place its toy-village look. It is often cited as an early example of the picturesque style applied to ordinary housing.

What you can see

Visitors can walk onto the green only. The cottages are lived in, so this is a place to look rather than go inside: walk the circuit of the green, take in the chimneys, thatch-style roofs and porches, and keep voices down for the residents. You enter through a gate on Hallen Road, with five steps up to the green. Allow 20 to 30 minutes.

Making a morning of it

Blaise Hamlet pairs naturally with Blaise Castle Estate a few minutes' walk away, which has the nearest public toilets and a café, plus woodland walks and a house museum. Buses 1 and 76 run from the city centre to Henbury, and National Cycle Network Route 4 passes through. If you are heading back towards Clifton, the Bristol Zoo Project and the Downs are a short drive south.

Highlights

• Nine individually designed cottages around a shared green
• Built in 1811 for retired Blaise estate servants
• Designed with architect John Nash for banker John Harford
• Cared for by the National Trust
• Dogs welcome on leads

Good to know

• Access is to the green only; the cottages are private homes.
• On-street parking on Hallen Road; five steps lead up from the gate to the green.
• Toilets and a café are at nearby Blaise Castle Estate.
• Buses 1 and 76 run from Bristol city centre to Henbury.

Frequently asked questions