Description

BRISTOL

ST5673SE CLIFTON DOWN, Clifton
901-1/7/749 (West side)
04/03/77 Clifton Observatory

II*

Former windmill, now camera obscura. C18. Camera and extension
of 1828 and 1835 by a Mr West. Carboniferous limestone rubble
with limestone dressings, lead roof to tower, roofless side
block. Single-depth plan.
3-stage round tower with single-storey; 4-window side block.
The battered tower has a first-floor casement window, and
tall, moulded brackets to a rendered top storey containing the
camera obscura with crenellations and casements in the
embrasures. Tudor-arched doorway to the roofless side block,
which has a curved end and 2 segmental-headed windows; the
rear has two 4-centre arched rear windows with torus mouldings
and casements with margin panes, and paired right-hand 2-light
windows.
INTERIOR: a winder stair up to the camera obscura in the roof,
and down into a tunnel leading to Ghyston's Cave, in the side
of the gorge.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the windmill was damaged by fire in 1777.
William West leased the mill for conversion into an
observatory in 1828. In 1835 he was granted an extra piece of
land adjacent to the tower on which he built a new
astronomical observatory with a revolving dome and telescope
"to allow unrestricted observation of the heaven". Next to
this was a large room with various astronomical maps, globes
and instruments, intended for occasional use as a lecture
room. The tower was also altered in 1835, by the rebuilding of
the wooden balcony in store and the fitting of the camera
obscura. West also excavated an underground passage to
Ghyston's Cave, opened 1837.
(Chilcott: History of Bristol: Bristol: 1844-).

Listing NGR: ST5656273261

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Clifton Observatory, Bristol at Wikipedia
• Clifton Observatory, Bristol official website
• Wikidata Q7075453

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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