News / University of Bristol
Historic gardens featured in Sherlock series to be opened to public
The University of Bristol is opening the historic landscape gardens at Goldney Hall to the public.
The celebrated gardens in Clifton Wood feature many ornate 18th century heritage attractions, including an ornamental garden, a gothic tower and one of Britain’s finest examples of a surviving shell grotto, its walls encrusted with a variety of British diamonds, shells and fossils.
The grounds were owned and extended by Alfred Waterhouse, who later designed the Natural History Museum in London, from 1864-65, and later they were home to Lewis Fry, a liberal MP in Bristol and the first chairman of the University of Bristol University Council.
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The orangery and gardens also featured as the main location in BBC hit series Sherlock, as the wedding venue for Martin Freeman’s John Watson.
Statue of Hercules in Goldney Gardens – photo: University of Bristol
Usually closed to the public, the university will run specialist historic garden tours from Wednesday to September 11, and will take visitors through the original flag garden, the Rotunda, the canal and other attractions.
Alan Stealey, head of external estates at the University of Bristol, said: “Goldney is one of Bristol’s hidden gems and it is great to be able to open up this space to visitors for these interesting and insightful tours.
“The university takes great pride in maintaining a large number of listed buildings and gardens and we’re looking forward to sharing this slice of Bristol’s heritage with the public once again.”
To book a tour, click here.
Main photo: University of Bristol
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