Having had first hand experience of the inner workings of the Ashton Court Mansion I can highly recommend it. The mansion itself is not totally open to the public as it has some major reworking due to be done to the upper floors but the ground floor and the gardens more than make up for this. The mansion is available for hire for such things as weddings, balls, parties etc and you have exclusive access to the bar, ballrooms and grounds. Every effort is made by staff to ensure your day will last in your memories for years to come.

I have never actually been to the house itself but I've wandered around the grounds many times. There are 850 acres of woods and grassland here, so it is possible to walk for hours without retracing your steps. The views from some places in Ashton Court are absolutely magnificent, especially from the other side of the forest.

There is also a golf course here, a deer enclosure, a cafe, and a visitors centre to let you know about the history of the place. I've never actually found the cafe or visitors centre, so if you want to go there specifically for these things then I'd advise you to look at the website or phone them up before going. (http://www.forestofavon.org/ashtoncourt.html)

During the summer there is a balloon festival and a kite festival here, and they are both definitely worth checking out.