I visited Ashton Park (Greville Smyth Park formally but locally always known as Ashton Park) on Sunday 10th November 2019. It is one of those places that is always there, like a Church, Salvation Army, Public House, Bridge and so on. Land donated by the Greville-Smyth family for a Public Park, been here for generations. It is always a place of tranquillity and happiness to get lost in, spend time in. Mostly flat open spaces with paths and trees, with the frontage lined with trees and stone walls and entrance pillars. Sloping up to the right with paved, stone lined steps and grassy slopes with trees where at the top a Bowls Club and Tennis Club are also found. Right round the perimeter at the back is the A3029 and A370, Ashton Road at the front. At the rear are routes where you can walk your way out of the Park to the Avon Locks and riverside either side whether you go left to the overpass which may involve steps or walking under it or right crossing the road by the bonded warehouse, the latter gives an excellent view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Benches are to be found all around the park. A very colourful bed of plaques, flowers and other surrounding greenery and trees is just to the right of the entrance where the path runs up a hill. There has always been a play area in the tarmacked centre. Always featuring a set of Swings, a Roundabout and a Slider, latterly some play animals on springs for younger children to ride. Either way all suitable for a wide range of ages of children as the Swings always used to have a couple of baskets for the very young and a couple of normal swings. The flat area to the left has a path and was and is very often used for football with the pitches lined out, very good for Frisbee’s too I note. It has always been the case for several regulations to comply with, such as all dogs on leads and clear up and no (like Queen’s Square) barbecues on the grass. Unfortunately, not always complied with, dogs often run free and the latter in summer often ignored by visitors, yet all is indicated at the main entrance and the side entrance in Ashton Road. If not too busy with football and people you can ride your pedal bike all around it, especially at the far end. I am sad to note that the Play Area as I mentioned that has always been there has disappeared, all equipment having been removed, just leaving open tarmac. A huge new play area has been put in and fenced off, accessed by a gate at the entrance end and a stile at the far end. The fencing extends from the rear edge of the tarmac alongside the path leading to the rear of the park and off up the slope to the right alongside that path to the top of the slope. In all a huge area completely enclosed and now inaccessible to most. So, the flat areas to the left and at the very top of the slope. What can children do on the slope that is enclosed? Roll down it? The equipment also is new and seems tailored exclusively to young children due to its configuration (the swings are all basket seats) and size. I expect any child from 8 years up and certainly in double figures would be unable to use it due to the size. There is a patch to the left of the tarmac where Ice Cream vans or trailers used to park but I don’t remember it ever being paved so that must be very recent. Well as problems mentioned. I have never seen any sign of a Park Warden, or any sign of any Policeman ever appearing in the Park. I am deeply upset personally about the changes, as I really liked the old setup and like the park it was always there, scruffy latterly but functional just a bit of TLC. The new equipment is not with a wide age of children in mind and I am hoping the fencing off is to prevent dogs from routinely getting in. One never had a safety problem with tarmac, and I note in recent years there was the new safety tarmac (looks like it but soft and springy to touch) in case one fell off. The nice thing about it, is it is always there and never changes. A lovely, enchanting green space of fun and happiness which I still highly recommend!

Recently removed the amazing swings that used to entertain me for hours which is a shame. Also the baracade that was placed in the entrance many years ago due to me nearly getting hit by a fast moving truck with no regard for safety is never put up due to people illegally driving through there to get to the bowling place at the top. There is usually an ice cream truck there selling some basic ice cream for a good price, and there is an area for teenagers and an area for young children along with an area for children in the middle. There is a large green area for walking dogs but lots of the time the dog poo is not disposed of properly even though there is a large bin for it. There is also a lot of paths for runners and cyclists with a pretty direct path to under the suspension bridge. No nice views for you here as it is right in the middle of a city. There are also some teenagers at about 3:20pm on week days and for a little while afterwards due to a nearby school. They can be a bit intimidating to younger children to you should be wary of that. Sometimes there are people training for football in the green area but there is still enough room for walking dogs and things like that. There are some slopes for sledges on the rare occasion that it snows. Overall a nice park with enough entertainment for children and a wide area for dog walkers. Not much more to wish for.

This park is always bustling with activity. I've visited countless times and it's clear why. Saturdays are particularly lively, with kids engaged in football matches. With ample space for both younger and older children, it's a perfect spot for everyone. Some even organize their own football games and enjoy barbecues here. The park's numerous paths make it an ideal destination for those learning to ride bikes or roller skate. Don't forget to treat yourself to a delicious ice cream from the regular ice cream van located near the play area. The park also conveniently connects to Riverside Garden Centre on the northwest side.

A nice, open park with good play facilities for small children up to teenagers, right next to Ashton Gate stadium. Lots of room for organised sports (football, tennis, bowls..) as well as casual kickabouts and frisbee. In the summer the park gets very busy with loads of barbecues, but never feels overcrowded and doesn't suffer the traffic logjams of the downs as BS3 folk like to walk to the park. Good views of the balloon fiesta and air displays unless the wind is against you.

This is our local park and it's just a stone's throw from bustling North Street. The Hopper coffee 'van' is a great addition which can be found up near the bowling green. It would be great to see more events on at the park, but it should be noted there are no public toilets. There is a regular ice cream van down near the play area and it connects to Riverside Garden centre to the north west of the park.

If you're looking for a family friendly island of nature, this is a fantastic place to visit. It's at the end of North Street, right outside Ashton Gate stadium, meaning there's plenty to do in the surrounding area. Personally, I like to stop and take in the nature and calm here as I walk from Bedminster up to Leigh Woods and across the Suspension Bridge, which is a lovely route

Swings aren’t just for kids!! They are for adults too!! Sunsets from Greville Smyth park with my close friend after a walk around spotting turkey tail mushrooms on a rotting felled log and all different kinds of daffodils, even spotted a tree I’ve never seen before (look up empress tree or princess tree ). These are the moments that keep me top side of the earth

Gorgeous community park. Very safe natural space. Plenty of space for dog walkers and nice play area for children. Lots of natural wildlife and flowers around!
Playground
Plenty of play equipment for smaller and bigger children. Equipment seems well maintained.
Dog-friendliness
Wide open spaces for running around, plenty of sticks and such for playing games.

Beautiful Victorian park, with amazing local events such as the annual Superhuman Games, hosted by local gym Workout Bristol. Lovely members bowling green, tennis courts and volunteer gardens.
Dog-friendliness
Always full of a local community of dog owners who know each other and mostly respect each dogs boundaries and idiosyncrasies!

Nice area but very poorly maintained seating was awful .rubbish all over the place and graffiti on the trees kids park very worn and basic. Spot the rubbish bin and no toilets . No flower beds or community garden . A over grown puddle trying to be a pond of sorts. Bowls club covered in graffiti for hire .the list goes on. …

A nice park for a walk, despite the busy roads nearby. Close to shops, and easy to get to. Take a walk along the river from the park to Clifton suspension bridge (a flat easy walk), or take a walk up the hill through Leigh woods. Whatever you choose to do, relax or start a walk from here it is a lovely, well maintained park.

Traditional park with children's play area; something for everyone. We enjoyed a walk going under the A370 enjoying the urban grafitti along to the river Avon footpath and the Suspension Bridge. Great coffee at the park from the TukTuk van. There are toilets and bins, all very clean and well maintained.

Decent sized park in Bedminster with plenty of space for dogs, children and adults to run around like headless chickens. There's a kids play area which always seems popular, some exercise equipment the other side for those wanting to show off their guns and some nice spots to chill out with a picnic

The playground is really nice and well-equipped. However, it is very large and keeping line of sight with the more active little ones will be difficult. This is made more problematic by the existence of unlocked exits (as steep sets of steps over the fence) at regular intervals around the perimeter.

Used this park as a child, not that many changes in the last 60 yrs, apart from the fact that travelers caravans were parked in there. And they were driving their cars over football pitches very danderous!!!., lots of kids playing and dog walkers having to be mindful.

A beautiful park filled with smiles and street art. If you are a dog walker or just love dogs this place is such a dream. Dogs everywhere! Lots of bins and kept clean and tidy. Unfortunately the public toilets are no longer open which I believe is a huge shame.

It a great bowling Green All facilities are on site toilets bar sitting area Great for party's ie wedding receptions with a game of bowels throne in This the second we have hired there facilities the site is protected all round with bushes and trees 5 stars

Lovely... just what you would expect from a Victorian (don't quote me on that it could be Georgian) park. It's a short cut through to the Cumberland Basin area. Has a Bowls Club, Tennis Court and children's play area. Good for runners and dog walkers.

Great open space. Clean with lots of events. Only 3 stars as the children's play area us too small and many of the children's equipment is broken and has been for a long time. It needs expanding and fixing to represent the growing community

Good for children due to the play area and for dog walkers due to the sizable grass field. Can be difficult in the summer to let the dog off from the lead because people pic nic all over the grass. Would benefit from a coffee shop although

I've known this park since childhood and it's a beautiful place to take your children. It has a great play area plus lots of greenery and mature trees to enjoy. Popular with dog walkers, picnicers, or just to get out into some green space.

I bring my grandchildren regularly to.this park and its right on my doorstep. Priceless..its got everything . Perfect picnics.dogwalking playing outdoor sports. The area is lovely to take a stroll round with plenty of benches . . The

Growing up in the area, I always used to visit this park when i was younger. The recent improvements (adding in a new play area and allowing football teams to access certain areas of the park) means that it is more frequently used. A

Really nice, large park with a good children's play area including things for toddlers as well as older children (and their parents!). Plenty of open space for games or a picnic, as well as some sports pitches and tennis courts.

A nice place to wander about. Not too busy during the day. There was a group of about a dozen mothers with babies near the entrance, but there was plenty of room to social distance. The trees are looking lovely at the moment.

Love this park.. been here so many times.lots of space and for both smaller and larger kids. Also a large green area where people play football. Alot of paths so great park to go if learning to ride a bike or roller skate

If you live in South bristol,this place is a little gem, forget all the rubbish about bowling being the reserve of old people, it's a brilliant time . With a bar and lovely weather it's a wonderful place to be …

Lost a dog in this park once for 36 hrs. Not the best time of my life I must say. Also there is a gap in the fence right onto the main road. The council should really do something about it. Lovely park though 6/10

Found bench in north-east corner to eat my sandwich, there I found myself looking at the most magnificent tree, red in appearance and immensely tall, beautiful. The area of trees are great to sit in and relax.

Nice and quiet in the Southville / Bedminster neighbourhood. Right by the Ashton stadium. Lots of dog walkers. People set up their own football space and some do BBQ here. There's also a children's playground.

Nice open Park with playground for kids. Also a bowling club which serves Gem for members and guests and 2 tennis courts very accessible space withholds of areas to relax , run , play sport etc

Busy little park. Saturdays are especially busy with kids playing football matches. Good play area, lovely little coffee van on the top of the hill. Bowls and tennis courts are on offer too.

Gorgeous park with some incredible big trees that have a lot of benches to sit as well. Will be great to have some garden beds for flower and herbs that could be for community usage as well.

Great park for younger and older kids as there are two separate areas for them to play in. Good variety of playground things like roundabouts, swings and 2 climbing frames with slides.

Greens. Play parks. Tennis walkways. Open flats . Except maybe outdoor taps & toilets . Its Got it all.. Ooh and climb able trees , lovely trees but none can climb …

It's nice big park enjoy walking running biking meeting up with friends enjoying out exercising dog walking. activities there's a children's play area for them to enjoy playing on.

Amazing, large park. With a great play park, exercise area and acres of land to walk/run/roam. Can use park to walk under the ring road, and lead to a lovely walk along the river

Lovely big victoriana Park, good children's playground, plenty of room for dogs to run and a cute tuktuk mobile coffee shop which does great coffee and gorgeous homemade cakes.

Really lovely park for a walk round with sleeping babies! Nice play park and also a separate teenage play park. Icecream van and a coffee truck most of the time. Lovely trees.

Good park just south of the river and on north Street. Big play area and close to local shops, cafes and pubs. Though it is busy on match day so might want to avoid it then

Loved walking the park its well kept and lots of interesting pathways. Also people using the park were friendly, and my dog had great fun meeting lots of other dogs. …

Really massive, clean, fun park for kids, nice trees and not packed out during lockdown despite loads of groups. You can get into the park in so many ways. Lots of variety

A lush green space located in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city which provides ample space for a walkers, joggers, dog owners and sports enthusiasts alike!

Lovely park, well maintained and cared for. Love the coffee van esp during covid times! The park is great for the kids too. Lot's of social clubs etc are run there too.

Nice park for young families to enjoy. Situated next to the GREATEST football team in the West (Bristol City). Nice to see the balloons go across the park (sometimes).

Small, clean and cozy. Has a new kids play area. Ideal for picnics, sunbathing, reading a book or just to sit down and relax. Everyone will find there spot and use.

Great Park with lots of good structures for kids to play on. Lots of space for kicking the ball and if you're lucky you might even spot a hot air balloon flying by.

Tons of open space for kids to run around and play, very well kept together . Dog friendly as well... Fantastic place to spend a few hours or a day with a picnic.

Great little park. Free parking along the road outside. Play area is large but not so large you can't see the whole area. There's tennis and bowls on site too

A lovely park with a variety of spaces. Great for family, couples, dog walking, ball games, younger kids, sun, shade, this park really does have it all!

A very pleasant green space, family - friendly with excellent play equipment. There is a wide variety of mature trees, & plenty of benches to sit on.

Big open space for dog walking and sports, or for just sitting and 'people watching '. Large children's play area. Some unusual trees. No toilets.

Lovely big park with a lot of wide open green space, games courts and a playground for kids. Shops are located nearby for any supplies needed.

Wonderful place for walking, the playpark is fantastic. Lots of flat ground for dogs to run around in. Short walk to the harbourside.

Nice old Victorian Park. Used for the Upfest graffiti festival. Loads of swings and benches. A lovely oasis of calm in South Bristol.

As a park it's nice but parking is really difficult so hard to recommend by someone who takes their son to under 12 football there.

We completed at super human games here. Amazing beautiful place. Would love it if they could get a little water fountain.

It's a park! Hill with trees. Bowling green. Flat bit. Surrounded by main roads and overlooked by Bristol City stadium.

Attended UPFEST 2022 here and it was Amazing. A fantastic weekend and some awesome artwork on show. Great festival.

I enjoy the overall green environment of grassland and trees. Some traffic noise. Lovely experiences for children.

Beautiful park to walk the dog. Large children's play ground, bowling club, skateboard area. No public toilets.

Lovely park with good wings for children and adults
Playground
Good
Restrooms
Fine

Nice big park with plenty of space for every activity, but lacks enough benches to sit and enjoy the sunshine

Lovely park and playground with lots of space for running and football. Dog poo everywhere which is a shame.

It was a busy day, some organised activity taking place, the atmosphere was great, everyone was having fun.

Nice park with large flat areas of grass and quite big play park, tennis courts and bowling green

Nice park to walk the dog with plenty of space and paths. Busy when schools finish for the day.

Nice sized park great for the kids and dog walking Parking can be a problem when football is on

My 5 year old grandson loves the playground. 'Scary' he says …
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Beautiful park to bring Your Kids, your pet or simply for a walk in peace and quiet nature.

A nice picturesque park which leads on to the harbour, Ashton Court and the River Avon.

Nice place for a day out with the family. My son enjoyed the playground a lot!

Lovely large park with lots of play areas and great for dog walking and BBQs

Very nice park. Big. You can run. Chill. Do BBQ. Bes park in Bedminster.

It's a pleasant corner to mooch around, especially if you have a dog.

Great park for all but seemed to lack toilets? Had 3 kids with me..

Its beautiful and serene. I ususally go there just sit and read.

Toilets permanently closed, boggy, road noise, no cafe.

Lovely open spaces and beautiful greenery

Nice park, the name makes you feel posh!