The 30 or so communal gardens in Clifton are a very special feature of 19th-century urban design.
The original idea was to provide all residents of a particular terrace or square with a garden area which was for their private use. The garden would be railed, and the residents provided with a key. The community as a whole would be responsible for the upkeep. This worked well when labour was cheap, and each house was owned by an individual family. But the sub-division of properties into flats, and the lack of any very formal legal structure to the arrangements, as well as the removal of railings in 1940, and the legal complexity of multiple ownership of potentially valuable urban sites has led to a complex situation today. Visually the communal gardens are a vital part of the glory of Clifton, and the setting for the terraces.
The maintenance of Victoria Square, The Mall Gardens, Canynge Square, Victoria Park and Park Place has been passed over to Bristol City Council, which means that they are now open to the public.
A. Communal gardens open to the public that are owned by Bristol City Council.
Victoria Square. ca 1840. Originally private but now a much valued central public park. Several of the original plantings survive including a fine Lebanon Cedar, a Fern-leaved and a Common Beech, and an unusual Hornbeam which is a chimera, as it has tissue of both Common and Cut-leaf Hornbeam. There are at least 25 tree species, including some very unusual oaks planted to replace Beeches that had to be felled and one of only two Italian Maples, as well as an old, horizontal, Black Mulberry. A clearance and replanting was undertaken in 2015.
It is called Victoria Square because high in the centre of the terrace on the north side is the royal coat of arms. The terrace is built to resemble a palace and it was hoped that Queen Victoria would come and stay there. She never did.
When there were railings all round the garden and down the central path, in order that the children could play together in either garden there was a tunnel for them to go through. This was filled in during the 1970s but almost at the south east end of the path if one looks over the low wall the top of the arches can still be seen.
The Mall Gardens ca 1840 Public. Well maintained by the council with a residents garden committee. The main gardens have 28 specimen trees of 14 species and there are small trees of 11 other species. The central section was originally planted with Holm Oaks, seven of which survive, and most are in need of management, and some the Council believe to be dangerous. The western section has two parts, an open public one, and a fenced private one, belonging to the flats. In this there are 11 specimens of five species, of which the most important is a huge Lucombe Oak, probably dating to 1850, and probably the largest in the city.
Canynge Square. ca 1860. Open to the public and maintained by the Council and by the residents garden committee. It has six specimen trees, of six species, including a Turkish Hazel.
Arlington Gardens. ca 1890. This garden is maintained by local volunteers. It has tall Sycamores on the road side and Limes across the grass. Tree maintenance has been done by the volunteers but more is needed.
Park Place. ca 1830. Rather a scruffy triangle of lawn maintained by the council and dominated by a single huge Beech that is about 130 years old.
Buckingham Place. Ca 1830. A fairly narrow strip of grass with a few young trees and imposing gateposts to the road between the terrace and the grass. Probably ornamental rather than recreational.
B. Private gardens but easily visible
Royal York Crescent Gardens. ca 1820. Private and well-maintained with 25 specimen trees of 15 species, a young Giant Redwood, and two Limes.
Saville Place ca 1780. An oval lawn with specimens of seven species, including two very large Macrocarpa, and a very fine Tai Haiku Cherry, a Chestnut and a Common Lime that may go back to 1840.
Worcester Crescent, ca 1870. Private, but can be seen through the gate by the public. A small area well maintained by the residents, which has five small trees, a winter flowering cherry, a Cherry, a Magnolia, a Holly, and a low bushy Holm Oak.
The Avenue. Dating from the 1880s this is a strip of lawn either side of the road with an avenue of nine pairs of alternating Chestnuts and Limes dating from 1880. Of the original trees, there are now 17 limes and just 8 Chestnuts, though there are replacements for most, though not all, of the old trees that have gone. Council maintained. An interesting historical step between the formal private garden or square and street trees.
Hope Square ca 1770 Public. A small triangular lawn with four young specimen trees on it, of four species, which has recently been rather over-tidied.
Eaton Crescent Garden. ca 1880. A narrow crescent, now very shaded because of the growth of five Lime trees on its western edge, dating c 1960, an older Ash at its north corner and four Sycamores on its eastern boundary, probably self sown in wartime.
Camden Terrace. ca 1850. At the south east end of Clifton Vale is probably the smallest communal garden in the area. More of a screen than a garden.
The Polygon. ca 1820. Unusual in that the terrace of houses have small, low-walled front gardens which are separated from the half-moon shaped communal garden by a path.
York Place. This looks as if it is part of the garden of Manor Hall and is looked after by Bristol University. However there is a gate in the centre of the railings and it was a communal garden for the houses across the road. The Horse Chestnut is the oldest and finest in the city.
Oakfield Road/South Parade. Ca 1850. This has some fine Beech trees and has retained its railings. It is a good screen for the terrace from Oakfield Road, but large enough to have also been recreational.
C. Private communal gardens that are a key design feature of the conservation area.
Worcester Terrace Garden. ca 1855. A large, shady garden maintained by the residents, with a thick evergreen outer hedge in which stand all the trees. The important trees are a Cedar of Lebanon, a triple trunk Yew, a Holm Oak, two large Macrocarpa, two Bhutan pine of ca 1880 and a Deodar of ca 1960.
Vyvyan Terrace Garden ca 1850. A large well maintained private garden, with specimens of 13 species including a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon and a Weeping Silver
Lime, both dating back to 1840, the latter now the finest of its kind in Bristol. There is a Lucombe Oak, a Chestnut of ca 1860 and a Lime of the same date.
The Paragon, N and S. ca 1810. Well maintained by the residents. The Northern garden is a small circular lawn on made-up ground, which has two huge Macrocarpa, probably from the 1900s, a Lucombe Oak and a Lime from 1850. The southern garden, on a very steep slope, has two old Bhutan Pines and a Black pine at the entrance, which make a very dramatic landscape feature, and, at the far end a vast old beech. There are fine views across the Avon to Somerset.
Dowry Square. ca 1750. The first communal garden and still maintained by residents. The oldest tree is an astonishing Beech, much pollarded and probably going back to 1800. There is a straggly thin specimen of Azara, the only one I know of in Bristol, and a dominating Arizona Cypress. There are specimens of eight other species.
Bellevue. ca 1790. On the east side garden is on a steep slope with around ten tree species, including suckering White Poplar, which tends to dominate. It is a difficult site for upkeep, but over the past decade the residents have put in a lot of work. The trees provide an important green screen in the summer from Jacobs Wells Road. On the other side of the terrace is a narrow strip of garden which was originally planned to be coach houses. It is said that it is called Bellevue because it overlooks the harbour and the ship owners could sit in comfort and watch their trading vessels come and go.
Cornwallis Crescent East and Cornwallis West. ca 1880. These are private steeply sloping gardens, with a terrace in front of the houses below which are gardens and at the bottom a woodland area with a large number of Sycamore, but some exceptional Limes, Beech, Yew, and at least six other species. Much of this has clearly grown up since 1940, and it is left as a striking woodland feature which is of huge visual significance in the Clifton landscape.
Richmond Hill Gardens. ca 1830 This forms a key visual feature at the top of the triangle. There are specimens of at least 23 tree species, including a magnificent Weeping Beech, the finest in the city, and a Redwood, which is an offshoot of a tree cut down twenty years ago. The land was bought by Sarah Guppy (1770-1857) an inventor and designer who was consulted by Brunel. She lived in Richmond Hill and did not want any building opposite, so bought the land and made it communal. For many years it was a nursery garden but now it has become a well hidden car park for those houses to which it is attached.
Richmond Terrace. Dating from 1791 the terraced houses form an outward facing square with the communal garden occupying the middle ground; thus enabling all houses to have safe access from their own back gardens. This was a communal pleasure garden, but during WWI and WWII with the cry for ‘Dig for Victory’, the gardens became allotments and today still retain that aspect with residents having their own plots so it is a delightful patchwork.
Rodney Place. ca 1780. A narrow strip, maintained by residents, dominated by two huge trees, a Beech and a Plane, dating back to c 1880. Visually a link with Clifton Green.
It is encouraging to know that the idea of communal areas continues. Recently, after several years of legal dispute, a bomb site off Blackboy Hill, which had been turned into a pretty garden with interest for children, such as a small pond, was declared to be public property. It is known as The Easter Garden.
Likewise Ambra Vale East in Hotwells has imaginatively transformed an area where there were derelict garages into a garden with seating, tables and a fun bank for children to run along.
The Piazza, also in Hotwells, was a concrete area under the flyover roads and is currently being turned into perhaps more a community area than a communal one.
The Cherry Garden beside the steps leading from Cliftonwood to Jacob’s Wells Road was created on a steep slope of wasteland about 35 years ago.
Bustani za pamoja za Clifton ni sehemu ya kipekee ya muundo wa mijini wa karne ya 19. Wazo la awali lilikuwa kuwapa wakazi wote wa uwanja fulani au mraba eneo la bustani ambalo lilikuwa kwa matumizi yao ya kibinafsi. Bustani hiyo ingefungwa kwa reli, na wakazi wangepokea ufunguo. Jamii nzima ingekuwa na daraka la kuitunza. Hilo lilifanya kazi vizuri wakati kazi ilipokuwa ya bei nafuu, na kila nyumba ilikuwa ya familia moja. Lakini kugawanywa kwa mali katika vyumba, na ukosefu wa muundo rasmi wa kisheria kwa mipango, pamoja na kuondolewa kwa rails katika 1940, na utata wa kisheria wa umiliki wa wingi wa maeneo ya mijini yenye thamani ya uwezekano, imesababisha hali ngumu leo. Kwa kuona bustani za pamoja ni sehemu muhimu ya utukufu wa Clifton, na mazingira kwa ajili ya terraces. Victoria Square, The Mall Gardens, Canynge Square, Victoria Park na Park Place zimepelekwa kwa Halmashauri ya Jiji la Bristol, ambayo inamaanisha kuwa sasa zimefunguliwa kwa umma. A. Bustani za umma zilizo wazi kwa umma ambazo zinamilikiwa na Halmashauri ya Jiji la Bristol. Uwanja wa Victoria. Mwaka 1840 hivi. Mwanzoni ilikuwa ya kibinafsi lakini sasa ni bustani ya umma yenye thamani sana. Mimea kadhaa ya awali imeokoka ikiwa ni pamoja na cedar nzuri ya Lebanoni, Fern-leaved na Common Beech, na Hornbeam isiyo ya kawaida ambayo ni chimera, kwani ina tishu ya Hornbeam ya kawaida na ya cut-leaf. Kuna angalau spishi 25 za miti, ikiwa ni pamoja na baadhi ya oaks ya ajabu sana kupandwa kuchukua nafasi ya Beeches kwamba alikuwa na kukatwa na moja ya maple mbili tu Italia, kama vile zamani, usawa, Black Mulberry. Mimea hiyo iliondolewa na kupandwa tena mwaka 2015. Pia inaitwa Victoria Square kwa sababu juu katikati ya terrace upande wa kaskazini ni Royal Coat of Arms. Uwanja huo umejengwa ili kufanana na jumba la kifalme na ilitumainiwa kwamba Malkia Victoria angekuja na kukaa huko. Hakuwa amefanya hivyo kamwe. Wakati kulikuwa na rails pande zote za bustani na chini ya njia ya kati, ili kwamba watoto wanaweza kucheza pamoja katika bustani yoyote kulikuwa na handaki kwa ajili yao kwenda kwa njia. Hii ilijazwa katika miaka ya 1970, lakini karibu na mwisho wa kusini mashariki ya njia, mtu akitazama juu ya ukuta wa chini, juu ya matao bado inaweza kuonekana. The Mall Gardens, karibu na 1840 Imehifadhiwa vizuri na baraza na kamati ya bustani ya wakazi. Mimea hiyo ina miti 28 ya aina 14 na miti midogo ya aina 11. Sehemu ya kati ilikuwa awali kupandwa na Holm Oaks, saba ambayo kuishi, na wengi ni katika haja ya usimamizi, na baadhi ya Halmashauri wanaamini kuwa hatari. Sehemu ya magharibi ina sehemu mbili, moja ya wazi ya umma, na moja ya kibinafsi iliyofungwa, inayomilikiwa na vyumba. Katika hii kuna sampuli 11 za spishi tano, ambayo muhimu zaidi ni kubwa Lucombe Oak, pengine dating kwa 1850, na pengine kubwa katika mji. Uwanja wa Canynge. 1860 hivi. Kufunguliwa kwa umma na kudumishwa na Halmashauri na na wakazi bustani kamati. Ina miti sita ya mfano, ya spishi sita, kutia ndani Hazel ya Uturuki. Bustani za Arlington. Mwaka 1890 hivi. Bustani hii hutunzwa na wajitoleaji wa mahali hapo. Ina miti mirefu ya Sycamore kando ya barabara na miti ya Limes kando ya nyasi. Matengenezo ya miti yamefanywa na wajitoleaji lakini mengi zaidi yanahitajika. Eneo la Hifadhi. Mwaka 1830 hivi. Ni mstatili wa lawn uliohifadhiwa na baraza na unaongozwa na Beech moja kubwa ambayo ina umri wa miaka 130. Buckingham Place. (Kituo cha Buckingham) Karibu mwaka 1830. Mstari mwembamba wa nyasi na miti michache na nguzo za lango kubwa kwa barabara kati ya terrace na nyasi. Yaelekea ni ya mapambo badala ya ya burudani. B. Bustani za kibinafsi lakini zinaonekana kwa urahisi Royal York Crescent Gardens. 1820 hivi. Mti wa kawaida wa 25 wa spishi 15 na mti mdogo wa Giant Redwood na Limes mbili. Saville Place, karibu na 1780. Mimea ya aina ya Oval, pamoja na aina za aina saba, ikiwa ni pamoja na Macrocarpa mbili kubwa sana, na Tai Haiku Cherry, Chestnut na Lime ya kawaida ambayo inaweza kurudi nyuma hadi 1840. Worcester Crescent, karibu 1870. Ni ya kibinafsi, lakini inaweza kuonekana kupitia lango na umma. Mti wa kijani-kibichi, ambao ni mti wa kijani-kibichi, una maua ya majira ya baridi kali, cherry, magnolia, holly, na mti wa chini wa mti wa Holm. Barabara kuu. Mtaa wa Chestnut ulianzishwa mnamo 1880 na mtaa wa Chestnut ulianzishwa mnamo 1880. Kati ya miti ya awali, sasa kuna 17 ya limao na 8 tu ya Chestnut, ingawa kuna mbadala kwa miti mingi ya zamani ambayo imekufa. Baraza kudumishwa. Hatua ya kihistoria ya kuvutia kati ya bustani rasmi binafsi au mraba na miti ya mitaani. Hope Square, karibu na 1770 Mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea. Eaton Crescent Bustani. 1880 au zaidi. Mti wa Lime uliokua kwenye ukingo wake wa magharibi, unaanzia mwaka wa 1960, mti wa Ash uliokua kwenye kona yake ya kaskazini na mti wa Sycamore uliokua kwenye ukingo wake wa mashariki, labda uliopandwa wakati wa vita. Camden Terrace. Mwaka 1850 hivi. Katika mwisho wa kusini mashariki ya Clifton Vale ni pengine bustani ndogo zaidi ya jamii katika eneo hilo. Ni kioo kuliko bustani. The Polygon (Mkono wa Mengi). 1820 hivi. Ni ajabu kwamba terrace ya nyumba ina ndogo, chini-walled bustani mbele ambayo ni kutengwa kutoka nusu mwezi umbo bustani ya pamoja na njia. Eneo la York. Hii inaonekana kama kama ni sehemu ya bustani ya Manor Hall na ni kutunzwa na Chuo Kikuu cha Bristol. Hata hivyo kuna lango katikati ya rails na ilikuwa bustani ya pamoja kwa ajili ya nyumba katika barabara. The Horse Chestnut ni ya zamani na bora katika mji. Oakfield Road na South Parade Mwaka wa 1850 hivi. Hii ina baadhi ya miti nzuri Beech na imehifadhiwa rails yake. Ni screen nzuri kwa ajili ya terrace kutoka Oakfield Road, lakini kubwa ya kutosha kuwa pia alikuwa burudani. C. bustani za kibinafsi za pamoja ambazo ni kipengele muhimu cha muundo wa eneo la uhifadhi. Worcester Terrace Bustani Mwaka 1855 hivi. Bustani kubwa yenye kivuli inayohifadhiwa na wakazi, yenye ua la nje lenye mimea mingi ya kijani kibichi ambamo miti yote inasimama. Miti ya muhimu ni Cedar ya Lebanon, Triple Trunk Yew, Holm Oak, mbili kubwa Macrocarpa, mbili Bhutan Pine ya circa 1880 na Deodar ya circa 1960. Vyvyan Terrace Garden, karibu na 1850. Mbuga kubwa ya kibinafsi, iliyohifadhiwa vizuri, na sampuli za spishi 13, ikiwa ni pamoja na Cedar ya Lebanoni na Weeping Silver Lime, zote mbili zinazotokana na 1840, ambayo sasa ni bora zaidi ya aina yake huko Bristol. Mti wa mwaloni wa Lucombe, wa Chestnut wa mwaka wa 1860 na wa Lime wa mwaka huohuo. Paragon, N na S, 1810. Imehifadhiwa vizuri na wakazi. Bustani ya kaskazini ni lawn ndogo ya mviringo kwenye ardhi iliyoundwa, ambayo ina Macrocarpa mbili kubwa, labda kutoka miaka ya 1900, Lucombe Oak na Lime kutoka 1850. Bustani ya kusini, kwenye mteremko mkali sana, ina Pines mbili za zamani za Bhutan na Pine Nyeusi kwenye mlango, ambayo hufanya kipengele cha mandhari ya kuvutia sana, na, mwishoni mwa mwamba mkubwa wa zamani. Kuna mandhari nzuri katika Avon kwa Somerset. Uwanja wa Dowry. (Mstari wa 175) Bustani ya kwanza ya pamoja na bado inasimamiwa na wakazi. Mti wa zamani zaidi ni Beech, ambao ni wa zamani sana na unaonekana kuwa wa miaka ya 1800. Kuna sampuli ya nyembamba ya Azara, pekee ninayojua huko Bristol, na kichaka cha Arizona Cypress. Kuna spishi za spishi nyingine nane. Bellevue. Kuhusu 1790 Kwenye upande wa mashariki bustani ni juu ya mteremko mkali na karibu kumi aina ya miti, ikiwa ni pamoja na sucking White Poplar, ambayo huwa na kutawala. Ni eneo gumu kudumisha, lakini katika miaka kumi iliyopita wakazi wamefanya kazi nyingi. Miti hutoa screen muhimu ya kijani katika majira ya joto kutoka Jacobs Wells Road. Upande mwingine wa terrace ni ukanda mwembamba wa bustani ambayo awali ilikuwa imepangwa kuwa nyumba za magari. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Bellevue"" ni jina la mji wa Bellevue, ambapo meli za biashara zilikuwa zikisafiri kwa urahisi na kwa urahisi." Cornwallis Crescent Mashariki na Cornwallis Magharibi. 1880 au zaidi. Hizi ni bustani za kibinafsi zenye mteremko mkali, na terrace mbele ya nyumba chini ambayo ni bustani na chini ya eneo la misitu na idadi kubwa ya Sycamore, lakini baadhi ya Limes ya kipekee, Beech, Yew, na angalau spishi sita nyingine. Sehemu kubwa ya eneo hilo limekua tangu mwaka wa 1940 na bado ni sehemu ya msitu yenye kuvutia ambayo ina umuhimu mkubwa wa kuona katika mandhari ya Clifton. Bustani za Richmond Hill. "1830: ""Hii ni sehemu muhimu ya kuona juu ya pembetatu.""" Kuna spishi za angalau aina 23 za miti, ikiwa ni pamoja na Weeping Beech, bora zaidi katika mji, na Redwood, ambayo ni tawi la mti kukatwa chini miaka ishirini iliyopita. Mji huo ulinunuliwa na Sarah Guppy (1770-1857), mvumbuzi na mbuni ambaye alishauriana na Brunel. Aliishi katika Richmond Hill na hakutaka jengo lolote lililo kinyume, kwa hiyo alinunua ardhi hiyo na kuifanya iwe ya pamoja. Kwa miaka mingi ilikuwa bustani ya watoto lakini sasa imekuwa mahali pa kuegesha magari yaliyofichwa vizuri kwa ajili ya nyumba hizo ambazo zimeunganishwa nayo. Uwanja wa Richmond. Nyumba za mfululizo zinazojengwa mnamo 1791 zinaunda mraba unaoelekea nje na bustani ya pamoja inayomiliki ardhi ya kati; hivyo kuwezesha nyumba zote kuwa na ufikiaji salama kutoka bustani zao za nyuma. Hii ilikuwa bustani ya furaha ya pamoja, lakini wakati wa Vita Kuu ya Kwanza na ya Pili ya Ulimwengu na kilio cha <unk>Kuchimba kwa Ushindi<unk>, bustani zikawa mgawo na leo bado zinahifadhi kipengele hicho na wakazi wakiwa na viwanja vyao wenyewe kwa hivyo ni patchwork ya kupendeza. Mahali pa Rodney. (Mwanzo 17:28) Katika mwaka wa 1780, Mtaa huo umejengwa na miti miwili mikubwa, Beech na Plane, ambayo ilijengwa mwaka 1880. Kwa kuona uhusiano na Clifton Green. Ni jambo lenye kutia moyo kujua kwamba wazo la maeneo ya pamoja linaendelea. Baada ya miaka kadhaa ya mabishano ya kisheria, eneo lililokuwa na mabomu karibu na Mlima Blackboy, ambalo lilikuwa limegeuzwa kuwa bustani nzuri yenye kupendeza kwa watoto, kama vile dimbwi dogo, lilitangazwa kuwa mali ya umma. Inajulikana kama Bustani ya Pasaka. Ambra Vale East, Hotwells, imebadilisha eneo ambalo lilikuwa na karakana zilizokuwa zimeharibiwa kuwa bustani yenye viti, meza na benchi ya kufurahisha kwa watoto kukimbia. Piazza, pia katika Hotwells, ilikuwa eneo la saruji chini ya barabara za flyover na kwa sasa inageuzwa kuwa labda zaidi ya eneo la jamii kuliko moja ya jamii. Bustani ya Cherry, karibu na hatua zinazoongoza kutoka Cliftonwood hadi Jacob's Wells Road, iliundwa kwenye mteremko mkali wa ardhi tupu miaka 35 iliyopita.