For a comprehensive history of the farm, please have a look at this wonderful Historical Research paper by Dr Felicity Mellor.
Bridge Farm was originally the main farm for Heath House estate, south west of Stapleton. The house itself dates back to early eighteenth century and one of the barns is thought to date from the seventeenth century.
For most of the last century the farm was owned and farmed by the Withers family.
Before the M32 motorway was constructed, the farmhouse looked out over a bridge across the River Frome and the small tollhouse that sat beside it.
Beyond would have been views of Eastville Park, which was laid out and opened to the public in the 1890s. Both the neighbouring house, Sunnyside, and the tollhouse were demolished in the 1970s to make way for the motorway.
