Visit Bristol

SS. Great Britain

Step back in time and board Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain. Discover the stories behind the ship that changed the world. Experience the sights, the sounds, and the smells, of life on board for Victorian passengers and crew. Explore below the water line underneath the ‘glass sea’ and touch the world’s first steam driven, ocean-going passenger ship.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Clifton Suspension Bridge spans the Avon Gorge and the River Avon linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset.

Cabot Tower

At the top of the rise is Brandon Hill, also known as St Brandon’s Hill, built in 1897. The twenty-nine-acre site includes parklands, a nature reserve and Cabot Tower. Cabot Tower was constructed to commemorate John Cabot’s voyage to Newfoundland in 1497 in his ship The Matthew. It is possible to climb the stone steps within the tower to the top as featured in the College Green walk.

Redcliffe Caves

Redcliffe Caves are a series of man-made tunnels beneath the Redcliffe area of Bristol, England. The Triassic red sandstone was dug in the Middle Ages. It provided sand for glass making and pottery production. From the 17th to early 19th centuries further excavation took place and the caves were subsequently used for storing trade goods. The caves can be accessed on certain days and it is best to check in availability in advance.

Observatory and Camera Obscrura

William West’s Camera Obscura is one of just three working Camera Obscuras in the UK. This astonishing feat of engineering has sat on top of Clifton Tower since 1828. Get a glimpse of how Victorian visitors must have felt admiring the landscape from atop the tower. This is a feature of the Clifton Suspension Bridge walk.

The Georgian House

This house is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture. Georgian is the name given, in most English-speaking countries, to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover, George I, George II, George III, and George IV, who reigned in unbroken succession from August 1714 to June 1830. The house is open to the public and is a part of the College Green walk.

We the curious

We The Curious (previously At-Bristol or ‘@Bristol’) is a science and arts centre and educational charity in Bristol, England. It features over 250 interactive exhibits over two floors, and members of the public and school groups can also engage with the Live Science Team over programming in the kitchen, studio and live lab.

NB. Currently ongoing repairs following a fire in early 2024.

Christmas Steps

Christmas Street, on the boundary of the Bartholomew estate Formerly known as Cutler’s Street, Knifesmith Street and Queen Street respectively, until 1774, when it became known as Christmas Steps. Originally this was a stone path until 1669 when Jonathan Blackwell, a Sheriff, paid for the erection of the steps. In a niche, at the top of the steps is a tribute to Blackwell. The steps are a feature of the St. Augustine’s Parade walk.

Museum and Art Gallery Bristol

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is the largest in Bristol. It is situated in Clifton, about half a mile from the city centre. As part of Bristol Culture, it is run by the Bristol City Council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the government to protect outstanding museums. The collections on show are Geology, Natural History, Eastern Art, and Bristol’s History, including English Delftware. You will pass the museum on the Queens Road walk.

The Red Lodge Museum

The Red Lodge Museum is a historic house in Bristol, England. The original building was Tudor/Elizabethan, and construction began in 1579–1580, possibly to the design of Sebastiano Serlio. The main additional building phases are from the 1730s and the early 19th century. The Red Lodge is a free museum but runs on donations and is featured in the St. Augustine’s Parade walk.

Blaise Hamlet

Blaise Hamlet is a group of nine 19th-century rustic cottages around a green, near Bristol. It is partially open to the public and accessible by a gate on Hallen Road. This historic find is a short journey by car from the city centre. Blaise Hamlet is a short walk from Blaise Castle Estate where there is parking, public toilets and a café .

Giant's Cave

Excavated by William West in the 18th-century, the cave is at the end of a 200ft (70m) tunnel, originally accessible only from the rock face of the Avon Gorge. The tunnel has had many names, The Giant’s Cave or Glyston’s Cave, also referred to as, ‘St. Vincent’s Cave’. The tunnel can be accessed from within the Observatory above and, after descending 70m, opens onto a viewing platform 250 feet above the gorge. The tunnel is reputed to have been connected to the old Chapel of St. Vincents. There have been some items of carved masonry found there. This can be viewed on the Clifton Suspension Bridge walk.

M-Shed

M Shed is a museum all about Bristol. Explore the city through time: its places, its people and their stories. Entry to M Shed is free. Well worth a visit to see amazing films and photographs, listen to moving personal stories, encounter rare and quirky objects and add to your memories of Bristol. You’ll visit here at the end of the Victoria Street walk.

St. Nicholas Market

The market was established in 1743. Its classical façade was built by Samuel Glascodine, with John Wood the Elder. Four principal streets meet at the top of the High Street. These are High Street, Corn Street, Wine Street and Broad Street. Parallel to the market entrance stand the ‘nails’. Four bronze nails or tables are located outside the exchange on Corn Street, probably modelled after mobile tables that were taken to trade fairs and markets.

The Matthew of Bristol

The Matthew of Bristol is a modern reconstruction of the original Matthew that John Cabot sailed to Newfoundland in 1497. A much-loved part of Bristol’s maritime heritage, the ship is open to the public and has a busy schedule of public boat trips, private hire trips, filming and festival work. The Matthew is a popular attraction and is situated next to the M-Shed which discovered at the end of the Victoria Street walk.