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The Bristol area has been settled
since the stone age, and the city rose to prominence in the Norman
era. During the 17th and 18th centuries Bristol's maritime industry
boomed, and despite the industries subsequent decline Bristol has
remained affluent.
There are Iron Age hill forts near the city, at Leigh Woods, Clifton
Down and on Kingswestern Hill. During the Roman era there was
a settlement, Abona, at what is now Sea Mills, connected to Bath by
Roman road, and another settlement at what is now Inns Court. There
were also isolated villas and small settlements throughout the area.
Bristol is now a bustling town with a population of over half a
million people has plenty of things to see.
Bristol Cathedral A church has probably stood on this site
for over a thousand years but it came to prominence in 1140 when
Robert Fitzhardinge founded the Abbey of St. Augustine. The Chapter
House and Abbey Gatehouse remain clearly to be seen: other remains
are within Bristol Cathedral School. There is an annual programme of
concerts and recitals. The Tuesday lunchtime concerts are a regular
feature of the music programme. Various musical organisations and
groups use the Cathedral as a venue for their concerts. Details of
all musical events can be found in the Services and Events List
published by the Cathedral.
Bristol International Balloon Festival
Held in August. It's an
amazing spectacle,
especially the night glow and there is plenty else to see and do.
For dates see our
events
page
British Empire & Commonwealth Museum is the first major
institution in the United Kingdom to present the 500-year history
and legacy of Britain's overseas empire. The Museum opened in 2002.
It is housed inside Isambard Kingdom Brunel's 19th century railway
station at Temple Meads, Bristol, the world's first purpose-built
passenger railway terminus and an integral link using Brunel's
railway and ships to connect the heart of the empire, London, with
Britain's overseas colonies and America.
Bristol Ferry Boat Co - Public
trips include spring and summer cruises along the Avon Gorge, our
ever popular 'Sail With Santa', and our performance poetry and prose
event ‘Word Boat’ |
Bristol Zoo
 Brunel's ss Great Britain
Step back in time on board
Brunel’s ss Great Britain – the
world’s first great ocean liner. Explore the beautifully
recreated First Class Dining Saloon, steerage quarters and new
Engine Room. Audio tours of passengers' lives and authentic smells
help bring the 19th century experience alive...
1845 - 46 Luxury Transatlantic Passenger Liner
Originally conceived as a paddle steamer, the ss Great Britain's
builders quickly recognised the advantages that the new technology
of screw propulsion could give the vessel, and converted the ship
and her engines to power a 16 foot iron propeller
Cabot Tower is in
Bristol situated in a public park on Brandon Hill. It was built
in 1897 in memory of John Cabot, 400 years after he set sail from
Bristol and landed in Canada. It consists of a spiral staircase and
two viewing platforms which overlook the city, the higher of which
is approximately 334 feet above sea level. The tower is open to the
public seven days a week and entry is free.
Cabot Tower in Newfoundland was built also in 1897 to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's discovery of
Newfoundland, and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It is located on
top of Signal Hill overlooking the city of St. John's, Newfoundland
and Labrador. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi received the first
trans-Atlantic wireless message at a position near the tower, the
letter "S" in Morse Code sent from Poldhu, Cornwall, England.
 The Clifton Suspension Bridge
The bridge, spanning the
beautiful Avon Gorge is a distinctive landmark that is used as a
symbol of Bristol and appears on a variety of postcards and
promotional material.
Its story began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol
wine merchant, William Vick,
who left a legacy to build a bridge over the Gorge.
The first competition in 1829 was judged by Thomas Telford, the
leading civil engineer of the day. Telford rejected all the designs
and submitted his own but the decision to declare him the winner was
unpopular and a second competition was held in 1830. 24 year old
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was eventually declared the winner and
appointed project engineer – his first major commission.
The foundation stone was laid in 1831 but the project was dogged
with political and financial difficulties and by 1843, with only the
towers completed, the project was abandoned.
Brunel died prematurely aged 53 yrs in 1859 but the Bridge was
completed as his memorial and finally opened in 1864. Designed in
the early 19th century for light horse drawn traffic it still meets
the demands of 21st century commuter traffic with 11-12,000 motor
vehicles crossing it every day.
Explore-At-Bristol An amazing world of hands-on discovery!
Explore-At-Bristol is one of the UK's most exciting hands-on science
centres!
Discover interactive exhibits and special exhibitions, take in a
Planetarium show or join our Live science team for fun experiments
and activities. A registered charity, Explore runs formal and
informal learning programmes and aims to make science accessible to
all
EDF Energy Bristol Harbour Festival
in August
with live
music, street performances, music stages,
a dance stage, street theatre and water displays,
and all sorts of live entertainments by
choirs, DJs or jazz bands, among others. A highlight of the festival is the Saturday Night
Fireworks presentation. Most of the activities are held near the
waterfront, so a significant part of the festival is connected with
the seagoing vessels - tall ships from
many countries, some of the Royal Navy's most famous vessels and
hundreds of sailing ships and old-time boats of all kinds,
moored nearby.
Bristol Harbour Festival celebrates the city's maritime heritage and
the importance of Bristol's docks and harbour.
See our
events page for this year's dates,
Pirate Walks
Few people know just how much of a history Bristol has with
Pirates and Pete's entertaining and informative walk takes you
around some of the piracy hotspots. From John Cabots statue to
Blackbeards home, the Smugglers Cave to the Matthew Shipyard, Pete
the Pirate provides a fun look at Pirates and their adventures in
Bristol
Support
The Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Blue Glass name is over 350 years old and it is
one which we are very privileged to carry forward into the 21st
Century, combining the best of the tools, techniques and traditions
from the past with the quality, style, and professionalism which is
synonymous with Bristol Blue Glass today.
The
Bristol Hippodrome
a top provincial theatre catering
for the best in opera, ballet, dance, comedy, family entertainment
and children's shows.
The Adventurous Activity Company offers an extensive range
of exhilarating outdoor pursuits and intriguing corporate activities
from our home in Bristol and other exciting locations in the South
and West of the UK
The Mall at Cribbs Causeway,
the South West's premier shopping centre based just north of
Bristol. You'll find 135 leading stores, 17 restaurants and cafes
and a range of excellent facilities all under one roof, giving you
the finest shopping choice in the South West
The New Room
Visit the oldest Methodist Chapel in the world
(originally built in 1739); the cradle of Methodism.
Open - Monday to Saturday - 10am to 4pm
John Wesley came to Bristol in 1739 at the
invitation of George Whitefield, who asked him to take over his work
of preaching to the open air crowds which he had gathered. Wesley
preached his first open air sermon in this country on April 2nd in a
Brickfield in St. Philip's Marsh and continued this work later at
Hanham Mount and several other places. Religious Societies in
Bristol then increased in size, and on May 9th Wesley bought the
land and on May 12th laid the foundation stone of what he called
"our New Room in the Horsefair", which was built as a place to
expound the Scriptures to the Societies. It is thus the first
Methodist building in the world.
See also the Charles Wesley Rooms - John's
brother Charles, the hymnwriter, sometimes
stayed here from 1748 to 1749, and then after his marriage to Sarah
Gwynne he lived till 1771 at 4 Charles Street, which has a
commemorative plaque
Taxis in Bristol:
Streamline Black & White Taxis
0117 926 4001
Alpha Travel 0117 985 5555
City Link Taxis 0117 966 6800
Hairdressers in Bristol:
Guy
Fawkes Hair and beauty
0117 926 0401
Toni & Guy
0117 930 0077
Cococheno 0117 925
7700 |
