Blaise Hamlet

Circular Cottage (left), with Sweetbriar Cottage immediately beyond

Blaise Hamlet
Blaise Hamlet  Blaise Hamlet shown within Bristol
OS grid reference	ST555785
Unitary authority	Bristol
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS10
Dialling code	0117
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Bristol North West
List of places UK England Bristol

Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 2°38′08″W / 51.507218°N 2.635608°W

Blaise Hamlet is a hamlet in north west Bristol, England, composed of a group of nine small cottages around a green. All the cottages, and the sundial on the green are Grade I listed buildings. Along with Blaise Castle the Hamlet is listed, Grade II*, on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.^[1] Nikolaus Pevsner described Blaise Hamlet as "the ne plus ultra of picturesque layout and design".^[2]

Blaise Hamlet was built around 1811 for retired employees of Quaker banker and philanthropist John Scandrett Harford, who owned Blaise Castle House.^[3]

The hamlet was designed by John Nash, master of the Picturesque style. He had worked for Harford on other buildings. The hamlet is the first fully realized exemplar of the garden suburb and laid out the road map for virtually all garden suburbs that followed.^[4] The cottages are all unique and include brick chimneys and dormer windows with some having thatched roofs.^[5] They are examples of the picturesque, an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin.^[6][7] An oval path links the cottages and encircles the village green with its sundial.^[8] The cottage gardens are planted in a Victorian cottage garden style.^[9]

Since 1943 the cottages have been owned by the National Trust.^[3] They are still occupied and not open to the public, but the ensemble may be viewed from the green. Rose Cottage is rented out by the National Trust as a holiday cottage.

Buildings

Building	House number	Grade	Photo	Reference
Circular Cottage	8	I		[10]
Dial Cottage	7	I		[11]
Diamond Cottage	2	I		[12]
Double Cottage	4 and 5	I		[13]
Dutch Cottage	3	I		[14]
Oak Cottage	1	I		[15]
Rose Cottage	6	I		[16]
Sweetbriar Cottage	9	I		[17]
Vine Cottage	10	I		[18]

See also

• Storybook house

References

1. "Blaise Castle and Hamlet". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
2. "Blaise Castle and Hamlet". Historic England. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
3. "The history of Blaise Hamlet". National Trust. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
4. Stern, Robert A.M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2013). Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City. The Monacelli Press. p. 23. ISBN 1580933262.
5. Wilson, Vicky. "Photograph of the Circular Cottage, Blaise Hamlet, Bristol 1973". Architecture.com. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
6. "Blaise Hamlet: a guide to Bristol's best kept secret". SomersetLive. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
7. Southworth, Michael; Ben-Joseph, Eran (2013). Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities. Island Press. pp. 29–31. ISBN 9781610911092.
8. "Blaise Hamlet, Bristol, England - Description". Parks and Gardens UK. Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
9. "Blaise Hamlet, Bristol, England - History". Parks and Gardens UK. Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
10. "Circular Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
11. "Dial Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
12. "Diamond Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
13. "Double Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
14. "Dutch Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
15. "Oak Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
16. "Rose Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
17. "Sweetbriar Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
18. "Vine Cottage". Images of England. Retrieved 14 March 2007.

External links

• Blaise Hamlet information at the National Trust