IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Comyn Walk, BRISTOL, BS16 2JL

Refreshments kiosk in the foreground.

New housing forms a semi-circular boundary with a green space in front of it. See Image] for a better look at the sunken landscaping.

The warden's house on the north side of the campus. St Matthias is one of UWE's four sites in Bristol.

The college was built in the C19 as a teacher training facility for women, it then became part of Bristol Polytechnic and now houses the humanities, psychology and social sciences departments of the University of West of England. The grounds are laid out with flower beds and specimen trees.

The Victorian Gothic buildings with baronial touches range around three sides of the campus. The more modern additions extend to the north.

It seems to be a balancing pond, with culverting, set in front of the new houses. However, the levels and stone structures also give the place the feel of an arena. Would it be a popular local facility in drier times?

Otherwise known as the Oldbury Court Estate and in the centre is a towering wooden sculpture, surmounted by lively figures. The park is a very popular one and recently has been granted £500,000 for upkeep and repairs.

This establishment began life in September, 1853, as the Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Training School for school mistresses - a female only college. As proper schooling became more enshrined in statute law, it was necessary to develop and supply qualified teachers to the Church of England's voluntary elementary schools. Discipline was strict and rigorous, as was the Anglican way, and was largely self-funded - allowing it to remain clear of state controls. The school became the College of St Matthias in 1955 and was part of the new approach to education. In 1972 it merged with Bristol Polytechnic, later to move from the site to a new one in Frenchay. By 2010 the St Matthias Campus was run down and finally sold off in 2014. It is now the Avanti Gardens School, an independent organisation.