Tower Hirst

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 21 Jul 2019

This attractive house was the property of John Henry Hirst, a Yorkshire architect who had come to Bristol in 1861. He selected a couple of sites for building and this one is perhaps the more intriguing, perched as it is very near the Avon Gorge cliff face. Hirst did not live here as it was occupied by a Manchester merchant, James Jones, in 1867. It was later bought by Robert Clarke, a local clothier and director of the Cornish Bank. Later owners included Hannah Bailey, a local shopkeeper in the post-war era and latterly an investment banker. It had a few spells of emptiness but is currently occupied. For an excellent account of the house, see https://www.flickr.com/photos/panr/8550239911

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