Open Spaces
Leigh Woods has been built on since 1865 and the land south of Nightingale Valley was fully developed by 1909—the rest has been preserved by gifts of land by the Wills family, and is now owned by the National Trust.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge was opened in 1864 and provided an alternative route to Bristol; in 1906 a swing bridge was opened to give access to Hotwells. Traffic continued to grow throughout the 20th century and a bypass was opened in 1968.
Ashton Court is a large estate that lies at the east end of the village. It was originally owned by the Smyth family, until they were forced to donate it to Bristol City Council in lieu of inheritance tax. Ashton Court is host to several festivals each year, including the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, and the scenic landscaped grounds with views of Bristol are widely used by local residents for walking, golf and mountain biking.
Dawsons walk is an area of green space donated to the people of Long Ashton. It has been developed into a circular woodland and countryside walk. Access to the walk is from Lampton Road or from public footpath between Bourton Mead & 40 Long Ashton Road.
The Long Ashton Footpath Users Group have replaced 29 stiles on the public rights of way around the village with kissing gates to create a complete circular walk around the village, accessible to older people and those with mobility problems, although it can be muddy in places. The route, way marked with yellow Village Circular Walk discs, takes in views of the valley, passing through local farms and woodland.
Read more about this topic: Long Ashton
Famous quotes containing the words open and/or spaces:
“With liberty and pleasant weather, the simplest occupation, any unquestioned country mode of life which detains us in the open air, is alluring. The man who picks peas steadily for a living is more than respectable, he is even envied by his shop-worn neighbors. We are as happy as the birds when our Good Genius permits us to pursue any outdoor work, without a sense of dissipation.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Every true man is a cause, a country, and an age; requires infinite spaces and numbers and time fully to accomplish his design;—and posterity seem to follow his steps as a train of clients.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)