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I was in Bristol for a work related conference, so I decided to turn it into a weekend getaway. My husband joined me on the Friday evening and we returned home on the Sunday afternoon. It was mid-winter, and Bristol is an excellent city to visit for a winter weekend escape because there is plenty to do, regardless of the weather. it’s a trendy, vibrant city full of interesting shops, sights, and attractions. Bristol is located in the South-Western part of the United Kingdom and has an interesting maritime history. It’s also the home of the famous artist Banksy, and several of his artworks are dotted around the city.
No.1 Harbourside
1 Canon’s Rd, Bristol BS1 5UH
On the Friday evening after my husband joined me, we spent our evening on the Waterfront, where we found plenty of trendy bars and restaurants to choose from. We ended up at the No.1 Harbourside where we enjoyed a few drinks and a meal. Later in the evening they had a band playing as well.
St Mary Redcliffe Church
The Parish Office, 12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA
On Saturday morning we headed out from the hotel and past the nearby Gothic style St Mary Redcliffe Church which is over 800 years old. It’s open daily so I encourage you to enter the church to take a look inside.
M Shed
Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN – Free entry
We continued our walk along the harbourside to get to M Shed, a museum that tells the story of Bristol and its people. This is large museum that covers over three floors. I really enjoyed learning about the cities trading history and was also interested to learn about its involvement in the slave trade. Apparently by the late 1730’s Bristol had become Britain’s premier slaving port. In 1750 alone, Bristol ships transported 8,000 of the 20,000 enslaved Africans sent that year to the British Caribbean and North America.
The M Shed also holds Banksy’s Grim Reaper. I’ve put a more detailed account of this below. They have a really nice cafe here where we enjoyed a cake and a hot drink.
Bristol Harbourside and Whapping Wharf
Just outside of the museum are two steam locomotives, Henbury and Portbury, that give people rides up and down the harbour side. On the harbour are shipping containers that have been converted into cafe’s, restaurants and shops. Along the harbour are large cranes and lots of interesting boats including house boats and vintage boats. We got to explore The Matthew, a replica of a boat sailed by John Cabot. In 1497 Cabot sailed from Bristol to North America. He only got as far as Iceland, so he left again on the Matthew, which was a smaller, faster ship.
SS Great Britain
Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol BS1 6TY – Entry fee applies, however, the ticket gives you free unlimited returns for a year.
Further up the harbour is the former passenger ship turned museum, the SS Great Britain. Between 1845 – 1854, the SS Great Britain was the longest passenger vessel and the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic in 14 days in 1845. This ship transported passengers and cargo from Liverpool to New York City, and in 1852 carried passengers to Australia to emigrate to the UK. After being abandoned for 33 years, the boat was retrieved from the Falkland Islands and returned to the Bristol Dry Dock where it was painstakingly restored.
You actually get to explore all of the nooks and crannies of the ship, everything from first class cabins (which were surprisingly small and the beds were tiny!) and the middle and lower classes. You also get to head down to see the inner workings of the ship including the kitchens and engine room. I enjoyed reading stories of the passengers and learning more about what it was like to be at sea for such a long time and living in such close confinements. I also enjoyed the opportunity to dress up in period costume!
Millennium Square
Explore Ln, Bristol BS1 5SZ
From the SS Great Britain we walked across Prince Street Bridge and then Pero’s foot bridge to get to Millennium Square. There are a number of restaurants and attractions in this area including the Bristol Aquarium (Anchor Rd, Bristol BS1 5TT), and We the Curious (2 Anchor Rd, Bristol BS1 5DB), a fun place for families to explore science and art with hands on interactive exhibits. There is a cool mirrored dome which is a planetarium that is part of We the Curious.
Bristol Cathedral
College Green, Bristol BS1 5TJ – Free entry
We headed over to the centre city and on our way we visited the impressive Gothic style Bristol Cathedral. The eastern end of the church is from the 12th century, and the Elder Lady Chapel was added in the early 13th century. But much of the church was rebuilt in the 14th century Gothic style. The cathedral is free to enter and is surrounded by beautiful buildings.
Pinkmans Bakery
85 Park St, Bristol BS1 5PJ
This cafe bakery is really popular. In fact we never managed to get a seat there as there was a long wait. So instead we chose ourselves some delicious sour dough doughnuts to take away, which they are famous for. I had the chocolate pecan brownie and my husband had enjoyed the vanilla cream and raspberry jam.
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Queens Rd, Bristol BS8 1RL – Free entry
The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is in an impressive building and is jam packed full of interesting items, so make sure you put enough time aside to see as much as you can. We got to discover Egyptian mummies, dinosaurs, an array of fossils, a Romani caravan, and other countless exhibitions. The top floor is an art gallery with paintings from Europe and pottery, ceramics and glass on display.
St Nicholas Market
The Corn Exchange, Corn St, Bristol BS1 1JQ
Established in the 1740s, St Nicholas Market was named Britain’s best large indoor market in 2016. It is home to a large collection of independent retailers and here you will find a range of shops selling food, housewares, art and clothing etc.
Queen Square
Bristol BS1 4LH
The Georgian Queen Square was the location of 3 days of riots in 1831 in which half the buildings in the square were destroyed. The trigger for this was the arrival in Bristol of the judge, Sir Charles Wetherell. The angry crowd disagreed with his opposition to the Reform Bill. The riot eventually ended when Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Brereton of the 14th Dragoons led a charge with drawn swords through the mob. Hundreds were killed and wounded but Brereton was later court-martialled for leniency because he had initially refused to open fire on the crowds. Consequently, he shot himself before his trial ended. The square is surrounded by some really beautiful historic houses and in the centre is a statue of William III on a horse.
Banksy Artwork in Bristol
The famous Banksy is an anonymous street artist and political activist. I really admire his ability to capture political and social commentary is such an clever and satirical manner. Banksy is believed to be from Bristol, as his work grew out of the Bristol underground scene. If you enjoy his work then you can see more at the Moco Museum in Amsterdam which you can read about in my Amsterdam post here.
Grim Reaper
M Shed Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN – Free entry
You can find this piece in the M Shed museum. It was originally painted on the side of the Thekla Social boat, a nightclub venue moored in Bristol harbour. The artwork was eventually removed in order to protect it from further wear and tear and it was loaned to the M Shed.
The Girl With Pearl Earring
Hanover Pl, Bristol BS1 6UT
Not far from the M Shed, near the Bristol Marina, is The Girl With Pearl Earring. In the place of the earring is a security alarm.
Well Hung Lover
Frogmore St, Bristol BS1, UK
This piece is also called Naked Man Hanging From Window. This piece appeared in 2006 on the side of a sexual health clinic. Sadly it has been defaced twice and some of the damage, caused by a paint gun, remains. This was a controversial piece as at the time the local council was cracking down on graffiti. Thankfully the locals defended the piece and the council put a vote to the people and 97% voted to keep it.
There was another Banksy piece, Gorilla in a Pink Mask, in a Bristol Muslim cultural centre in Bristol. But unfortuantely it was painted over when the building was renovated as they had not heard of Banksy before.
Riverstation
The Grove, Bristol BS1 4RB
We enjoyed dinner at the Riverstation restaurant. As well as great views of the river, it has a really good modern European style restaurant. Reserve in advance, as this place gets busy.
Clifton Suspension Bridge and Visitor Centre
Bridge Rd, Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 3PA
The next morning was Sunday and we were keen to visit Bristols iconic landmark, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. You can learn all about this beautiful bridge’s history by visiting its Visitor Centre. It opened in 1864 and crosses the Avon River and Gorge. The bridge is beautiful and so is the surrounding area.
At the Visitor Centre we got to see all of the other bridge designs that had originally been submitted by other keen hopefuls. Some of which did not look sound from an engineering perspective.
Clifton Observatory
Litfield Rd, Bristol BS8 3LT
Overlooking the suspension bridge is the Clifton Observatory. In the observatory is the the entry to Ghyston’s Cave. For a small fee you can enter the depths of the Avon gorge and step into the world of Bristol’s infamous giants, Goram and Ghyston. They were brothers who liked the same woman, the beautiful Avona (whom the River Avon is named after). She offered herself to whoever could drain a large lake. Goram worked too fast and got hot so drank a large ale and fell asleep. Meanwhile Vincent paced himself and completed his channel. When Goram woke up, he was upset at losing Avona’s affections so he stamped his foot in a pit, creating The Giant’s Footprint in the woods above Henbury gorge, and then drowned himself in the Severn. The cave leads you through to the side of the cliff over St Vincent’s Rocks looking out onto the Avon Gorge.
Royal York Crescent
Clifton is a very popular place to live as it has trendy restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, and grand historic buildings. Head to the Royal York Crescent which is a street in Clifton that overlooks the docks and the city. The crescent reminds me of the one in Bath with its curved row of handsome historic homes built in the early 1820’s. It is one of the most expensive streets in the city and you can see why. Nearby is also the pleasant Mall Gardens.
ANNA Cake Couture
7A Boyce’s Ave, Bristol BS8 4AA
We were looking for something sweet and ended up at the amazing cake cafe ANNA Cake Couture. It was difficult to choose what to get, so we ended up getting their sampler plate where you get to choose a collection of little square versions of their cakes ‘cubicakes’. The only downside to this place is that it isn’t very large, so we had to wait a for a seat. I really loved the open kitchen so we could also sit and watch them make delicious cakes.
We left Bristol early in the afternoon, as a snow storm was forecast. It was hard to believe at the time as it was a pleasant sunny winters day, but sure enough, the snow swept in and we arrived home just in time as it was really setting in.
Accommodation Options in Bristol
Search available accommodation in Bristol
Budget
Moderate
- DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre – I stayed here since I had been on a work trip.
- SACO Bristol – Broad Quay – Apartments
- Brooks Guesthouse Bristol
Luxury
Practical Tips for Visiting Bristol
- How long should I visit Bristol for? You can squeeze the major attractions into a weekend, but if you wanted to explore more then stay longer.
- How to Get to Bristol: We drove to Bristol, but you can fly into Bristol airport which has a shuttle into the city. If you are travelling within Britain, then you can use the intercity rail. To get around Bristol you can either explore on foot or take the city buses.
- Tours: There are lots of great walking tours tours in Bristol.
- Currency: British pound.
- Language: English
- Currency: British pound. There is no cash machine/ATM in the village. However, shops typically take card.
- Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
- Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets take a three pronged plug only used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in the United Kingdom as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
- Driving: In the UK they drive on the left hand side of the road with speed signs in miles per hour (mph).
- Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Make sure you download a map to use when you find yourself without internet.
- Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices.
- If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!
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