Bristol. Not a great sounding name, is it? Doesn’t conjure up the best possible images. Well, we have to say, the name is entirely misleading. Bristol is an incredible mix of different varieties of architecture, winding streets with multicoloured houses, great bars and beautiful surrounding countryside. The city centre, extending to the dockside, has been cleaned and rebuilt, and is a great place to be. There is much to see and do, and many, many places to party here, so read on and give it a go.
Brunel’s SS Great Britain
Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road
One of the world renowned engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s creations, the SS Great Britain was the largest ship to be set to sea at the time of its building in 1843, and was also the first ship to have an iron hull and a screw propeller – quite an achievement. Today the ship is an awarded museum that recreates life as it would have been in Victorian times for both the crew and passengers.
Open 10am-6pm April to October and 10am-4.30pm November to March.
Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery
Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road
One of the best archaeological museums outside London, the City Museum has some wonderful exhibits, especially the Ancient Egyptian display. The art gallery covers paintings, ceramics and glass and silverware from many eras and parts of the world. Open 10am-5pm daily (including Bank Holidays).
The Red Lodge
Park Row, West End
Step back in time to the Elizabethan era in this four centuries old lodge, where Elizabeth I once stayed. The lodge has many beautiful examples of Elizabethan and Georgian interior decorations and furniture, and it also has a lovely walled garden that is worth seeing. Free entry Open 10am-5pm Saturday to Wednesday
The Georgian House
7 Great George Street, West End
And to complete your view of Bristol as it once was, we recommend that you take some time to see this Georgian townhouse, spread over four floors. Free entry Open 10am-5pm Saturday to Wednesday
Clifton and Durdham Downs
This massive expanse of protected parkland stretches for miles and gives great views out of the city to
Bristol’s very close countryside. Fantastic for walks,
picnics, relaxing and the Bonfire Night fireworks display. It
also overlooks the impressive Avon Gorge, spanned by
the Clifton Suspension Bridge (see below).
Clifton Suspension Bridge and Cave
One of Isambard
Kingdom Brunel’s major achievements, this suspension bridge
is one of the most popular sights of Bristol.
The whole project took an outstanding 33 years
to complete, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel never saw the
finished result of his design. The entire
weight of the bridge is an incredible 1500
tons, and approximately four million vehicles
pass over it every year. Check out the
Samaritans helpline plaque up on the wall;
the
immense height of the bridge apparently makes it a very
popular suicide spot, although astonishingly a young woman
once survived the 245ft fall in 1885,
when her dress acted as a parachute
and she landed in the mud. At
the top of the hill next to
the bridge you can pay £1 to go
through a tunnel to a cave in the
sheer rock face. A balcony juts
out over the drop for you to find
out exactly how queasy you can make yourself.
Kingsweston Roman Villa
Long Cross Road, Lawrence Weston
Dating back to the third or fourth century AD, the remains of this old Roman Villa include a bath suite, mosaic floors and an Ancient Roman heating system. Open 10am-4.30pm daily, including Bank Holidays. Free entry
Blaise Castle House Museum
Henbury Road, Henbury
Blaise Castle House is a 19th Century mansion set in extensive parklands stretching over 400 acres. The house contains a collection of exhibits depicting the lifestyle of different eras, particularly the Victorian period. The house is beautiful, as is the parkland, and the museum is very interesting. Open 10am-5pm Saturday to Wednesday. Free entry
Bristol Science Centre – Explore-At-Bristol
Harbourside, Bristol
We’d like to mention the Bristol Science Centre because if we don’t, you’ll probably wonder what that big, shiny, silver ball is in the middle of the piazza bit that is Bristol’s old harbourside. It is a very hands-on science centre complete with a planetarium, and the whole thing is undoubtedly done very well. It’s pricey, though, at £9 per adult and £7 per child. If you have kids to keep entertained, or you’re planning on staying a while, this is a good place to visit, but don’t make it a priority.
Nightlife – Out on the town in Bristol
Bristol, being a student city, has a large and varied nightlife, with Saturday nights revealing the straightest, blondest hair, the shortest skirts, the highest heels and the most brightly coloured alcopops. The streets of Clifton and Redlands are lined with bars and pubs, the harbourside is teeming with bars and Corn Street, in the city centre, is home to some of the bigger, mainstream bars such as All Bar One. Trying to recommend any in particular is impossible, because there really are hundreds, so just have a stroll around these areas and see what catches your eye.
Restaurants – Eating in Bristol
As with the nightlife, there’s a massive selection of restaurants in Bristol, ranging from pub food to proper fine dining. There are the super-trendy cafe-bars and upmarket pubs in the Clifton area, such as the Walrus and Carpenter on Regent Street, the Bridge Cafe, overlooking – you guessed it – the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and delivering some incredibly good and imaginative food. If you’re on a bit of a budget, Clifton have a Strada that serves good food at reasonable prices. If you want to be near the drinking action for later on in the evening, Whiteladies Road is home to a wide choice of deliciousness. Just to pick out a few; there’s the pretty damn posh Quartier Vert for great food that is organic and produced locally; there’s Budokan, a slightly nicer and more original version of Wagamama (and they serve spirits, unlike Wagamama); or if you prefer to combine your drinking with your dinner, head straight for Las Iguanas for really good (albeit expensive, but hey) cocktails.