The Photography Interest Group of Bristol 1904 Arts - known colloquially as "The Snappers" had a rare opportunity to view and photograph behind the scenes at Ashton Court Mansion.

Ashton Court has been the site of a manor house since the 11th century, and has been developed by a series of owners since then. From the 16th to 20th centuries it was owned by the Smyth family with each generation changing the house.  It was used as a military hospital in the First World War and as an army transit camp during the Second World War. In 1946 the last of the Smyth family died and the house fell into disrepair before its purchase in 1959 by Bristol City Council.
(Reference: Bristol City Council’s official website)

Whilst the ground floor still retains much of the grandeur of past years and is a popular events and conference venue, the upper floors are quite a different story.  Renovations that were started several years ago have now stalled due to lack of resources, leaving the majority of the rambling structure unusable.

On Monday 3rd October 2022 seven Snappers; Jonathan Bolgar; Bob Pigott; Bill Phillips; Peter Jones; Martin Woodhead; Michael Hollyhead; and Roger Bonner, had a unique opportunity to go behind the once elegant façade for a photoshoot in the now derelict parts of the mansion.

It was a ‘hard-hat’ experience with the exploring photographers gingerly moving from ruined room to ruined room as they worked their way up into the roof space.  Some of the more intrepid actually went out on the roof.  All in all it was an interesting ’back stage’ expose of this externally familiar landmark of which many Bristolians will have differing memories.