Clifton Hill House Handbook 2020 2021
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Clifton Hill House
Handbook
2020 – 2021
Clifton Hill House
Lower Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1BX cliftonhillhouse.com
Table of Contents
Moving in................................................................................................................................... 5
Online Induction ................................................................................................................................5
Booking your arrival slot ..................................................................................................................5
Getting to CHH..................................................................................................................................5
Welcome Pack ....................................................................................................................................5
Get access to the Internet..................................................................................................................5
Living Circles .....................................................................................................................................5
Your room.................................................................................................................................. 6
Things to bring...................................................................................................................................7
Cleaning..............................................................................................................................................7
Maintenance .......................................................................................................................................7
Repairs................................................................................................................................................8
Meals.......................................................................................................................................... 9
Meal Schedule ....................................................................................................................................9
Getting your meal ............................................................................................................................10
Social distancing ..............................................................................................................................10
Crockery and cutlery ......................................................................................................................10
Specific dietary requirements.........................................................................................................10
Vegetarians ...................................................................................................................................................10
Meat-free Mondays ......................................................................................................................................10
Packed Meal .....................................................................................................................................10
Getting around ........................................................................................................................ 11
Cycling ..............................................................................................................................................11
Why get a bike? ............................................................................................................................................11
Where can I purchase a bike? .......................................................................................................................11
Freebies.........................................................................................................................................................11
Bike shed ......................................................................................................................................................11
Buses .................................................................................................................................................11
Taxis ..................................................................................................................................................11
Safe Car Scheme...........................................................................................................................................11
Coaches .............................................................................................................................................12
Trains................................................................................................................................................12
Buying tickets ...............................................................................................................................................12
16-25 Railcard ..............................................................................................................................................12
Transport Hubs ...............................................................................................................................12
Bristol Bus & Coach Station ........................................................................................................................12
2
Bristol Temple Meads ..................................................................................................................................12
Bristol Airport ..............................................................................................................................................12
London Heathrow / Gatwick ........................................................................................................................12
Laundry ................................................................................................................................... 13
Getting to the laundry room ...........................................................................................................13
Setting up..........................................................................................................................................13
Facilities............................................................................................................................................13
Consumables ....................................................................................................................................13
Drying racks.....................................................................................................................................13
Availability .......................................................................................................................................13
Mail & Parcels ........................................................................................................................ 14
Collecting your mail ........................................................................................................................14
Post Offices.......................................................................................................................................14
Communal Areas..................................................................................................................... 15
Kitchen .............................................................................................................................................15
Cleaning rota ................................................................................................................................................15
Toilets ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Toiletries .......................................................................................................................................................15
Sanitary bins .................................................................................................................................................15
Study Spaces ....................................................................................................................................15
Library ..........................................................................................................................................................15
Quiet Space ...................................................................................................................................................16
Social Spaces ....................................................................................................................................16
Junior Common Room (JCR) .......................................................................................................................16
Three Horses Bar ..........................................................................................................................................16
SU Living Room...........................................................................................................................................16
Other Spaces ....................................................................................................................................16
Meeting Room I............................................................................................................................................16
Smaller Library .............................................................................................................................................16
Outdoor Spaces ................................................................................................................................17
Grand Garden ...............................................................................................................................................17
Tennis Courts................................................................................................................................................17
Squash Courts ...............................................................................................................................................17
Shopping .................................................................................................................................. 18
JCR .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Available Positions ..........................................................................................................................19
Elections ...........................................................................................................................................19
Events ...............................................................................................................................................19
3
Further support ....................................................................................................................... 20
A Brief History of CHH .......................................................................................................... 21
4Moving in
Online Induction
You will be sent an online induction prior to your arrival, to let you know of revised
accommodation rules in light of the coronavirus pandemic, expected behaviours and how to
stay safe on campus.
Booking your arrival slot
You must book a time to arrive at your residence in advance using the Accomodation Portal.
You may face a long wait if you turn up at your residence without booking an arrival slot.
Getting to CHH
It’s tricky to hand carry all your luggage as the Hall is situated on a hill.
We recommend that you hire a taxi to pick you up from Bristol Temple Meads if you’re
travelling by train, or from Bristol Bus & Coach Station if you’re travelling by coach.
Welcome Pack
You will be issued a welcome pack when you check in which will contain your meal card,
laundry card and other important documents which you should retain for future reference.
Get access to the Internet
Eduroam provides secure wireless Internet access for students. Find out how to get on the
network.
Living Circles
The University is introducing living circles, which are designed to help keep you and others
safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
A living circle is a household within your university accommodation and will be the people
with whom you interact with closely on a daily basis.
We recommend that you practice social distancing from your flat mates as much as possible
for the first 14 days after you arrive to prevent cross-infections in case anyone in your
household develops coronavirus symptoms over that time.
After the 14 days, you will no longer need to socially distance from your living circle as they
are your new household.
Please note that you will not be allowed to have anyone other than those in your living circle
inside your flat.
You will still be able to meet with others who are not in your living circle outside of your
accommodation but you must abide by social distancing guidelines, which you can read more
about here.
5Your room
This is what a room in Fry Wing looks like, but yours will look different dependent on where
you reside in Hall.
These are what rooms in South Wing look like. These rooms come equipped with a sink, but
not an en-suite.
6Things to bring
Items provided Things you need to bring
Single-sized bed & mattress Pillow + pillowcase
Desk Duvet + cover
Chair Fitted sheet (single-sized)
Curtains/blinds
Wardrobe
Drawers/shelving
Waste receptable
Task lighting
Although sheets, duvets and pillows are not supplied by Hall, you can order these to be
delivered to your residence before your arrival.
We cannot attest to the quality of the sheets from this supplier, but you will need them to get
by for the first few days.
Remember that this will be your room for an entire academic year, so you are more than
welcome to supplement the above with your own decorations to make yourself feel at home.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Posters
- Fairy lights
- Flags
- Trinkets
- Photos
- Stuffed animals
- Board games
Cleaning
You are expected to clean your own room during your stay in Hall. A hoover can be found in
the cleaning cupboard on your floor - if you’re unsure where this is, be sure to ask one of the
housekeeping staff!
We understand that cleaning can feel like a boring chore. We recommend that you set a
“Cleaning Day” each week where you hoover the carpet in your room, change your duvet and
take out your rubbish to keep your room nice and fresh.
Maintenance
You can expect occasional checkups on room to allow for contractors to perform repairs if
needed, or to conduct compliance checks. You will be notified in advance in good time via
email before any work is carried out.
7Repairs
All repairs should be reported using your Accommodation Portal. Reporting a problem any
other way may result in a delay in getting the repair seen to.
8Meals
The Hall offers freshly cooked food catering to a variety of diets.
Meal Schedule
Clifton Hill House is a catered hall, meaning that you will be served meals at set times
throughout the day.
Meal Serving Hours Status
Weekdays Breakfast 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM Dining room open
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Closed for cleaning
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Dining room open
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Takeaway only
Lunch Not provided
Supper 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Dining room open
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM Closed for cleaning
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Dining room open
8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Takeaway only
Weekends Brunch 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM Dining room open
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM Closed for cleaning
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM Dining room open
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Takeaway only
Lunch 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Dining room open
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Takeaway only
Supper Not provided
9You should keep in mind that lunch is not provided on weekdays, supper is not provided on
weekends either.
This means you will have to prepare your own meals, or eat outside/get takeaway for
occasions where meals are not served.
Getting your meal
You will receive a meal card as a part of your welcome pack. Please remember to bring this
with you every time you queue up for a meal, because one of the members of staff on duty
will need to swipe your card before you can get your meal.
A salad bar is available to you, which typically consists of an assortment of appetizers, salads
and desserts.
Social distancing
The number of people allowed in each servery at any one time will be limited to abide by
social distancing guidelines.
A hand sanitising station will be installed at the entrance and exit of the dining room.
Crockery and cutlery
Food will be served in disposable containers and a personal reusable cutlery/mug pack will be
provided for your use.
Specific dietary requirements
If you have any allergies or specific dietary requirements, you are more than welcome to
discuss this with the resident’s catering team who will be happy to provide you with an
alternative option.
Vegetarians
A vegetarian and vegan option is always offered together with every meal.
Meat-free Mondays
The University has launched a new scheme where Monday’s meals are completely meat-free.
Packed Meal
You may request a packed meal, a handy option for when you cannot make it on time for
breakfast or supper. This will typically consist of a sandwich, a salad and some snacks.
You must let the catering staff know at least 24-hours in advance to allow them sufficient
time to prepare your packed meal.
10Getting around
Cycling
Why get a bike?
The city of Bristol has invested significant amounts in cycling infrastructure. You will find
that getting around Bristol is surprisingly convenient, and more often than not, it will be the
quickest option to get from Point A to Point B.
A word of caution though, the city is quite hilly so cycling can be hectic at first. The beauty
of human nature though is that we are extremely adaptable, and you will be accustomed to
the steep inclines fairly quickly.
Where can I purchase a bike?
There are numerous bike stores in the Clifton area, with fairly diverse price ranges, allowing
you to pick a bike that suits your budget. We recommend that you purchase a good helmet to
accompany you in your bike journeys. After you purchase your bike, be sure to get it
registered with BikeRegister to help the police reunite you and your bike in case of theft.
Freebies
You can get a lot of cycling freebies at the University Fairs, where free bike lights and
reflectors are handed out on a regular basis.
Bike shed
There is a bike shed available for you to store your bike. You can get a key to access the bike
shed from the receptionist.
Buses
Bristol is a great city to get around by bus. The campus and student residences are linked to
the city centre and other places by frequent bus services, many running around the clock.
During welcome week, you will receive a voucher via email which allows you to redeem a
bus pass on the First Bus app. Having this pass will let you travel on many bus routes for
free.
Find out more about bus travel here.
Taxis
A taxi may come in handy if you have a lot of luggage, or perhaps on exam day when you
need to travel afar to the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
Safe Car Scheme
V Cars has teamed up with the Student Union to offer students a taxi service in the event of
an emergency and you find yourself without any cash on hand. This may come in handy on a
rough night out.
Simply call the V Cars hotline on 01179 252626 and quote the Safe Car Scheme, and their
operators will dispatch a vehicle to you as soon as possible.
Find out more about this scheme here.
11Coaches
The two major service providers are National Express and Megabus.
Megabus tends to be the more inexpensive option which may come in handy on a budget,
generally at the expense of the journey times. Be sure to weigh up all the options before
making travel plans!
If you find yourself using coach services often, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a
Coachcard in the long run. You can find out more about the Young Persons Coachcard
(eligible for all full-time students) using this link.
You can also buy your National Express tickets at The Basket in the Richmond Building.
With offers including single tickets from Bristol to London from only £5 they can help make
your end of term journey home cheaper and easier.
Trains
Bristol is a major transport hub in the South West, and has good intercity rail connections.
The two major train stations are Bristol Temple Meads and Parkway.
Buying tickets
You can plan your journey and buy your train tickets through the National Rail website. We
highly recommend that you also purchase a Railcard to save on train fares.
16-25 Railcard
Having this railcard will save you a third of your train fare every time you purchase a ticket.
You can find out more about how to get one from the official 16-25 Railcard website.
Transport Hubs
Bristol Bus & Coach Station
If you’re travelling by coach, you’ll likely to stop by this station. The station is a 20-minute
walk from Hall.
Bristol Temple Meads
You can take a bus from the Victoria Square bus stop to Temple Meads via the 8 bus route,
which is roughly a 20 minute journey.
Bristol Airport
First Bus operates the Bristol Flyer which shuttles between the Bristol Bus & Coach
Station/Temple Meads and Bristol Airport.
London Heathrow / Gatwick
You can book a coach to take you from Bristol Bus & Coach Station to Heathrow or Gatwick
for a fairly reasonable price. Refer to the Coaches section for more details.
12Laundry
Getting to the laundry room
You can get to the laundry room by going to the bottom floor via the stairwell at the end of
the Fry Wing corridors.
Setting up
You will have received a laundry card in your welcome pack upon arrival. You will need to
top up the card via the machine operator’s website at washstation.co.uk in order to be able to
use the laundry facilities.
Facilities
There are 4 washing machines and 4 tumble dryers available for you to use.
At the time of writing, each washing machine cycle costs £2.70, and each drying cycle costs
£1.70.
Consumables
The laundry room does not provide any detergent or any other laundry products. You can
purchase your laundry product of choice from Wilko, Sainsbury and other high-street stores.
Drying racks
While there are a limited number of drying racks available for use in the laundry room, we
recommend that you invest in your own clothing rack to prevent mix-ups or theft and to save
on laundry costs.
Availability
You will find that the laundry room tends to be quite busy on the weekends, so you may find
it easier to do your laundry during the week.
13Mail & Parcels
You can have mail and parcels delivered to Hall. When your item has been received by the
mailroom, you will receive an email notifying that your item is ready to be collected.
When posting something to CHH, format the address like this:
Full name or student number
Room number
Clifton Hill House
Lower Clifton Hill
Bristol BS8 1BX
To ensure a smooth collection process, please make sure your full name is included on your
item.
Collecting your mail
All items are held in the mail room, which is located next to the entrance to Hall. Please note
that the mail room is not staffed 24/7, so you will need to collect your items during the
specified opening hours.
Opening hours
Monday – Sunday 14:00 – 22:00
When collecting your item, be sure to bring your UCard with you as the mail room staff will
need to verify your identity.
Post Offices
The nearest post office is on Regent Street, BS8 4HG.
14Communal Areas
Communal areas are places in Hall which you share with other residents. It is your collective
responsibility to maintain the cleanliness these areas.
Kitchen
A kitchen is available on your floor. The kitchens come in all sorts of shapes and sizes
dependent on which part of the Hall you reside in. Because Clifton Hill House is a catered
residence, the available kitchen applicances are limited to the following:
Items provided Things you need to bring
Kettle Mugs
Microwave Cutlery
Toaster Plates
Sink
Refrigerator (no freezer, sorry!)
Detergent
You will need to supplement the above with additional appliances to cook your lunch during
the week and supper for weekends.
Cleaning rota
You will be assigned a certain day on which you will need to take out the trash to the
recycling centre. Please ask a member of staff if you are unsure where the recycling centre is.
Toilets
Communal toilets and shower facilities are available on each floor, with multiple stalls and
showers for use.
Toiletries
You will need to purchase your own shampoo/body wash and other toiletries during your stay
in Hall.
Sanitary bins
A number of sanitary bins are available for use in some individual toilet stalls.
Study Spaces
Library
The library contains hundreds of books that are hundreds of years old! There are three
computers for residents to use, as well as a printer (that prints for free!), and single and group
tables for you to sit and get some work done at any time during the day. A piano is also
available for you to practice on in the library.
Location: Directly below the reception area: take the stairs to the left when you enter CHH
through the main doors.
15Quiet Space
This is an area with dozens of private study booth, well stocked with electricity outlets, and
good lighting. This is a good place to go if you work well in a quiet environment.
Location: Go towards the Callander House from reception, and then head towards the stairs
that lead you to the garden, and then enter the white door to the left, second third door to your
right.
Social Spaces
Junior Common Room (JCR)
The JCR includes a stage section, as well as multiple games: you can play table tennis (be
sure to ask reception for the accessories), foosball, billiards… Many hall-wide events will be
hosted here, but you can also gather with your friends for some drinks, card games, or
karaoke at any point.
Location: Take the stairs to the left when you enter CHH through the main doors, its two
flights down, halfway through the hallway, second door to your left.
Three Horses Bar
CHH’s very own mini-pub, where you can grab some drinks during specific days of the
week. The opening times will be set out on a notice board near the bar.
Location: Right next to the JCR: take the stairs to the left when you enter CHH through the
main doors, its two flights down, halfway through the hallway, first door to your left.
SU Living Room
A comfortable and cozy space provided by the SU where you and your friends want to watch
a movie together, play some video games, or have a small birthday celebration. It has a TV,
bean bags, and even a small kitchen. The SU will also hold events there quite often, so
lookout for those!
Location: Callander House, one flight of stairs above Resilife’s offices.
Other Spaces
Meeting Room I
A spacious room with a large table surrounded by several chairs, where you and your study
group need to meet, or you and your friends want to have a study session.
Location: Go towards the Callander House from reception, and then head towards the stairs
that lead you to the garden, and then enter the white door to the left, fifth door to your right.
Smaller Library
If you are hanging out in the Quiet Space or Meeting Room I and want to take a break or
divide yourselves into smaller groups, you can use the smaller Library, which you enter in
from the meeting room. This smaller room has multiple chairs, shelves, and a table.
Location: Go towards the Callander House from reception, and then head towards the stairs
that lead you to the garden, and then enter the white door to the left, fifth door to your right,
and then enter the room in the corner.
16Outdoor Spaces
Grand Garden
The garden is a beautiful, vast green space located between the main building and Fry wing,
with a smaller green courtyard near the South building as well. It contains a small body of
water, a series of lovely staircases, and a few benches under the fruitful trees.
Location: You can use your UCard to enter from near the side entrance, before Fry wing, or
from the doors under the reception area (which are sometimes closed though!)
Tennis Courts
Residents can head to this court to play some tennis or any sport, or just to run some laps.
Location: Head towards the car park between Fry and South buildings, which you can get to
from Constitution Hill or through the door on F south. Then go down the steps and walk
straight towards the court.
Squash Courts
There are two squash courts which you can head to on your own or with friends.
Location: Head towards the car park between Fry and South buildings, which you can get to
from Constitution Hill or through the door on F south. Then go down the steps and walk
towards the right and follow the path towards the courts.
17Shopping
If you are looking to purchase some basic furniture for your room such as a bedside table or a
clothing rack, Wilko would be the first place to look as it is merely a 5-minute walk from the
Hall.
For more specific and economical household items and necessities, we recommend that you
organise a trip with your friends or flatmates to IKEA. IKEA is roughly a 15-minute drive
away from the Hall.
For groceries, you can visit Waitrose or Sainsbury’s, both of which are adjacent to The
Triangle which is also a 5-minute walk from the Hall. A number of independent grocers can
be found in the neighboring Clifton Village, as well as a Farmer’s Market on certain days of
the week for fresh produce. The avocadoes there are !
The nearby Tesco store in Clifton Village may also come in handy when you need to top up
on basic toiletries.
18JCR
JCR stands for Junior Common Room, a student-elected body who represent all residents in
Clifton Hill House Hall.
Available Positions
The positions are quite dynamic and flexible, the JCR can add/remove roles based on what
they see fit at the beginning of the year. What is important that is all members collaborate and
contribute.
2019-2020:
• President
• Vice-President
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• International Rep
• Events Rep
• Arts Rep
• Sports Rep
• Equalities Rep
Elections
Elections are held every fall for the JCR committee. Keep an eye out from news from the SU
for further details.
Events
You pay a £50 JCR fee as a part of your first term’s Hall fees. This goes towards the JCR
budget which is used to host events and provide entertainment during your stay in Hall. The
events range from small scale move nights to large formals! You can request an event and
discuss it with the JCR team throughout the year.
19Further support
There are several points of reference for you in case you need support at any time.
Your personal mentor can help answer questions you have about the course or your personal
development. You can reach out to them via email or pass by their office during their office
hours. Also, you can sign up to have a peer mentor at the beginning of the year– this will be a
student from your course who is in their second year or beyond, and will be available to
support you at points of confusion.
If you need advice or guidance about a wellbeing concern, you can reach out to the
Residential Life Advisors or the Student Wellbeing Advisors. Luckily, CHH is the base for
the West Village Residential Life Team, so you can head to their offices for help.
Additionally, if you aren’t feeling too well emotionally at any time (even if it was 4am!), you
can call any of the multiple helplines available.
Furthermore, your JCR is there for you always! If you have any ideas about an event, or
would like to ask for advice on topics related to the halls or social aspect, remember that you
voted for the committee and it is there for you!
The important thing to remember is, you are not alone– although you may feel like it at times,
or some points may be challenging, there is always help available.
Find out more about receiving support here.
20A Brief History of CHH
Clifton Hill House was built between 1746 and 1750 as a most imposing semi-rural mansion
of Palladian inspiration for Paul Fisher, a highly successful linen draper, a very wealthy
merchant and ship-owner who participated in the slave trade of the time. However, he was
described by his contemporaries as a benevolent man and a great benefactor for the poor of
the community. He was most prominent in the foundation of the Bristol Infirmary in 1735.
At the height of his wealth, Paul Fisher employed Isaac Ware, the Palladian architect and
designer of national renown and protégé of Lord Burlington. Ware was clerk of works to
George II and most of his works were for private clients. His most famous surviving building
is Wrotham Park, the plans of which appear in Soldi’s portrait of Ware and his daughter. (A
copy of this eighteenth-century painting now hangs in the Fisher Drawing Room at Clifton
Hill House). Fisher chose Clifton for the building of his mansion, following the growing idea
of the time, that the suburbs were preferable to, and more
salubrious than, the bustling city. The design of Clifton Hill House appears in Isaac Ware’s
book A Complete Body of Architecture of 1756. There are some remarkable rococo ceiling
carvings by the local craftsman Joseph Thomas, in the reception rooms and the main
staircase. (The first stone cantilevered staircase in Bristol).
In 1851, Clifton Hill House was bought by Dr John Addington Symonds, a well-known
Bristol physician who was famous not only for his medical proficiency but also for his gift at
entertaining the literary and artistic élite of his time. As his son quoted: “He was open at all
pores to culture, to art, to archaeology, to science, to literature.”
The house was filled with many distinguished and talented people like Lord Lansdowne,
Jowett, Percival (Clifton College first Headmaster) and Jenny Lind, the celebrated Victorian
singer, known as the Swedish Nightingale. She sang several times at the Victoria Rooms, and
in 1862 stayed at Clifton Hill House. She sang in what is now the Symonds Music Room.
The pitch of her exceptional voice was such that it broke one fine crystal glass: “How very
far away, seems the great drawing-room at Clifton Hill House, with Jenny Lind singing on so
high a note that one of the fine Venetian glasses on my grandfather’s mantelpiece fell
shattered to small atoms!”2 Others who stayed at the house were John Masefield, the Poet
Laureate, and “Dame Clara Butt, the Bristol-born contralto, who gave a concert in 1920 to
launch a fund for the equipment of the newly-acquired Manor House.”
When Dr Symonds died in 1871, the house passed to his son, John Addington Symonds, the
poet, historian, literary and art critic. In her biography of Symonds, Phyllis Grosskurth wrote
that Symonds is best known for his seven-volume ‘Renaissance in Italy’, but “his literary
productivity was impressive: frequent reviews in the leading periodicals, “Studies of Dante‟
and the “Greek Poets‟, travel books, volumes of poetry and collections of essays.”4 Though
his work is little read today, he was a leading participant in the literary culture of his time, an
early enthusiast of Whitman and a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry James and
Edward Lear.” We know that The Owl and the Pussy Cat was written for Symonds’s eldest
daughter, Janet.
In 1877 the Symonds family, partly due to John’s poor health, decided to emigrate to Davos
in Switzerland. They returned briefly to Clifton in 1880 to empty the house, and
unfortunately, to burn or bury many of the family possessions. Margaret Symonds, (Mrs
Vaughan) wrote:
21“When the papers were done with, my Mother had her way with the
busts of all those unlovely emperors and philosophers such as our
grandfathers duly bought on their “grand tours” and stuck up in their
halls or bookshelves to depress both themselves and their children
with for ever after. My Mother had a large trench dug in the garden,
and the busts were all wheeled down in wheelbarrows and put in the
trench, and then the earth was shovelled in, and then my Mother got
in herself and danced upon the earth. She was indeed an heroic young
lady, for all that happened fifty years ago; and people didn’t destroy
their family trophies at that period, and certainly they did not dance
on them.”
It is worth noting that Symonds had been instrumental in the founding of Bristol University
College and how pleased the family was when the house was finally sold to the University in
1909 for £5,500, and became the first hall of residence for women in the South West of
England. In 1994, a large and little used ladies cloakroom was transformed to house all the
remaining possessions of the Symonds family that were scattered in the House. A permanent
exhibition with family photographs and memorabilia can now be seen in the Library at
Clifton Hill House.
In 1998 an International Symposium on John Addington Symonds - "The Private and the
Public Face of Victorian Culture" - was held at Clifton Hill House. It brought together
leading academics in the fields of 19th century art, literature and cultural history. In 2000,
Macmillan Press Ltd published the Symposium papers edited by Dr John Pemble under the
title: John Addington Symonds. Culture and the Demon Desire.
The main garden at Clifton Hill House is of a traditional patte d’oie design. The layout that
has not changed greatly since the eighteenth century, boasts several rare tulip trees. The
oldest was planted for Paul Fisher over 250 years ago.
Callander House is an eighteenth-century adjacent house that was bought for £4,000 by the
University in 1911, also from the Symonds family. It was extended in the 1920s, mainly
thanks to the generosity of the Wills family. A new dining room was created on the site of the
Stables and is now known as the Wills Reception Room.
In 1909, Clifton Hill House was opened as a “Women’s Hostel”, accommodating 15 young
ladies. It is now a popular mixed hall of residence, housing a lively community of some 230
students from the University of Bristol. It is also well known for hosting conferences, civil
ceremonies and special events in the restored rooms.
From 1988 to 2010, the previous Warden, Mrs Annie Burnside, implemented a major
programme of restoration to eradicate the institutional feel of the buildings and to restore the
Georgian House and other areas in keeping with its Palladian architecture.
In November 2004, Clifton Hill House was the winner of the London Georgian Group
Architectural Awards in the category “Restoration of a Georgian Country House”. This
prestigious national award is held annually to assess the best restoration works across the
United Kingdom, and attracted 87 entrants that year.
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