Introduction
This is a communal garden dated to 1721, designed by George Tully.
Dowry Square is a little unusual in that it is open on one side. It has always been open to the south. The garden in Dowry Square is rectangular in shape, and is enclosed by cast-iron railings mounted on a low parapet made of blocks of copper slag. The garden is quite closely planted with small trees and shrubs, in an informal and irregular way.
Dowry Square is well-kept. The garden is clean and tidy and has retained its railings. The architecture surrounding the square is also well-preserved, and all of the buildings are occupied.
- History
Dowry Square was laid out by George Tully in 1721, at a time when great efforts were being made to promote Hotwells as a fashionable spa centre. The square was designed to be open on the south side, facing the river.
The buildings around Dowry Square have survived remarkably well, but the Hotwell Road, passing the square on the south side, has become a major artery for traffic coming into Bristol from the south-west, and the square has lost something of its original seclusion.
- Associated People
- Features & Designations
Designations
Conservation Area
- Reference: Clifton
Features
- Railings
- Description: The garden is enclosed by cast-iron railings mounted on a low parapet made of blocks of copper slag.
- Gardens
- Key Information
Type
Designed Urban Space
Purpose
Ornamental
Principal Building
Domestic / Residential
Survival
Extant
Hectares
0.2
- References
References
- Gomme, Andor Harvey and others {Bristol : an architectural history} (London: Lund Humphries, 1979) Bristol : an architectural history