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welcome to Bristol uk

Bristol is situated in the Southwest area of England, representing the biggest city in this area for its culture and art. Bristol hosts a great deal of visual arts, theater, music events all year-long and one can also find there many amazing museums and galleries. If you are fond of culture and art, then you should know that Bristol represents the best place for a city break on the weekend.

Bristol is very famous for its maritime history and offers a great range of attractions, hotels, events. In summers, major festivals are held in the city and it is the best time to visit the city of Bristol. If you have to explore the best out of the Western part of the country, Bristol is the place where it can be done. The accommodation, compared to other destinations is less expensive and it offers a huge choice of bars, restaurants and shops. It also hosts a wide variety of visual arts, theatre and live music.

Getting to Bristol

One can get to Bristol by plane, by bus or train from any place in UK. Bristol has a great variety of hotels in the center, including the Radisson Blu Hotel Bristol that is not far away from a great deal of venues and galleries.

A little history

Archaeologists consider that this city has about sixty thousand years and it was discovered first in areas like St Annes and Shirehampton.

Even these days, one can see the Iron Age forts, which are situated outside Bristol and particularly at Leigh Woods and Clifton Down. In the period of the 14th century the city of Bristol turned out to be in the top 3 biggest towns in the medieval age and only the cities of York, London and Norwich overpassed it.

The population growth of the city was stopped by the Black Death. It lasted till the 17th century when the population started growing again and thus, the so-called English expansion in the trade of Africans to America cross the Atlantic Ocean.

In the period of the Second World War the city of Bristol was greatly damaged by bombings caused by the Air Force of Germany and unfortunately a great deal of the city was entirely destroyed. After being restored in the 60s a great deal of buildings were built in a brutalist architectural style. Not to talk about the road expansion.

Art lovers will definitely find Bristol to be a wonderful city and an amazing place to spend the weekend. If you are wondering about the things you can see in Bristol, then you will get a few ideas if you continue reading this article. For more history, check out Bristol UK history.

About Bristol uk

Bristol (/ˈbrɪstəl/ (About this soundlisten)) is a city and county in South West England with a population of 463,400. The wider district has the 10th-largest population in England. The urban area population of 724,000 is the 8th-largest in the UK.

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Top Bristol Attractions

Bristol Harbour

Location: Underfall Yard, Cumberland Rd, Bristol

This port is located on the Avon River and has been around for a long time. Recently the port has been given a new look which will has been done by several renovations and conversions of it’s many wharfs. This port is also known as the floating harbour and has been been the location of several wonderful establishments like galleries, museums and exhibitions. Most notable of these establishments are the Bristol Science Center, Bristol Aquarium and lastly, the Arnolfini visual arts, music and performance center. Also located here is the M shed which is a museum that holds most of the history of Bristol, as far back as several centuries. Outside the M shed, you’ll find one of the oldest trains to be used in Britain; Fairbairn Steam Crane. This train was used to fight of assailants in world war two. Travelling through this port is accomplished by the use of Bristol Ferry Boats, which have ferries serving the Avon river. Oh and it’s not expensive.

St. Mary Redcliffe

Address: 10 Redcliffe Parade West, Bristol

This place was described as ” the fairest parish church of England ” by Queen Elizabeth the first when she first visited Bristol.
Located on the south side of floating harbour, this ancient church was first built in the 13th century and later remodeled in the Baroque style in the 15th century. The reason it’s called the red cliffs is due to it’s location; It’s built on red cliffs. St. Mary Redcliffe’s architecture consists of slender, clustered pillars and reticulated vaulting, hexagonal porch and a deeply decorated doorway. The church showcases the affluence of Bristol’s wealthy merchants. Bristol & Region Archaeological Services is now located at the triptych, which sealed the tomb if the Church. Located in this tomb is the memorial tablet and tomb of Admiral Sir William Penn, who was the father of William Penn the founder of Pennsylvania.

Bristol Cathedral

Address: College Green, Bristol

This church has undergone several renovations over the last 600 years. It was initially built as the church of Saint Augustine Abbey. The east end of the church was remodeled Abbot Knowledge from about 1298 to 1330. The other renovations where completed later; the central tower and transepts in the mid 16th century, the nave and towered west facade in the 19th century. Although initially not a cathedral, it attained this status in 1542
One of the most notable things about this church is it’s rectangular chapter house and its late Norman decoration of Zigzag’s, fish scale patterns which are interlacing. The Gatehouse of St. Augustine is also a notable structure on the premises, as it was built in 1170, it was built with the use of pointed arches.

Brunel's SS Great Britain

Address: Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol

This Giant monument is the worlds first iron hulled passenger ship. It is still located at the same harbour it first launched from in 1843. It was built by the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunelit was the first ship to use screw propellers. The harbour at which it now rests is the Bristol’s Great Western Dock. The ship is one of the proofs of the sheer genius of Brunel. With supervision, you are allowed to explore this great vessel.
Located on the ship is the Brunel Institute and the David MacGregor Library, this library contains a lot of books and is a tribute to two great men.

Llandoger Trow

Address: King Street, Bristol

This place is associated with several famous books. The popular triple-gabled, half-timbered Llandoger Trow building in King Street was built in 1664, it is where Alexander Selkirk was reported to have told the story of his shipwreck to Daniel Defoe, who wrote about the tale in Robinson Crusoe. The Llandoger Trow was also the model for the Admiral Benbow, the inn frequented by Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Carefully restored in 1991, the building is linked by an underpass to the Theatre Royal, home of the Bristol Old Vic and the oldest playhouse in England to have had its stage in continuous use.

There is a great deal of many other attractions that you will definitely love to see like WMT Slimbridge, Wildlife Park, Avon Valley Adventure, Horse World, Blue Reef Aquarium, the Zoo Gardens of Bristol. Moreover, the Old Down Country Park is ideal for family trips.

Bristol has much to offer the visitor and is well worth a visit. Not only will you find a city rich in history but you will also find a vibrant nightlife, thriving arts scene and many great places to eat and drink (including the Michelin star restaurant Casamia).

Accommodations

Bristol offers a broad selection of venues to accommodate various tourism, meeting, corporate event and conferences. Some of the leading Bristol Venues that are available only for holiday accommodations and also congress and conference facilities are:

  • Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa Bristol: A luxury 4 star city centre hotel, just 10 minutes walk from Bristol Temple Meads train station and 20 minutes drive from Bristol International Airport.
  • Mercure Brigstow Bristol: A 4 star hotel located in a prime position on Welsh Back, a beautiful waterside location. 15 minutes walk from Temple Meads Station, 2 minutes from the city centre, close to leisure attractions and 15 km from Bristol Airport. 116 en suite rooms with air-conditioning and river views, some with balcony.
  • Novotel Bristol Centre: Five minutes walk from Bristol Temple Meads Railway station and in close proximity to the shopping centre and all the main leisure attractions as well as bars and restaurants in the city. With a conference suite of seven rooms for up to 200 people plus WiFi in most bedrooms and all meeting rooms.
  • Bristol City Council: The Council House in Bristol is one of the West’s most distinguished and memorable venues for meetings, conferences, exhibitions, dinners and weddings.
  • Cadbury House Hotel: in Bristol is the ideal place to stay during your weekend break in the city. Visit the Cadbury website for more information on room deals and weekend packages.

Bristol is the largest centre of culture, employment and education in the region, where you can also see tourist attractions, history, fine dining, shopping, sports, leisure activities and various events including business meeting and conferences. Bristol as a county by itself and all of the Bristol Venues are of distinctive and original character. Remember to make maximum of your stay in Bristol, and if you can return for another visit or a couple more – consider yourself fortunate!

Bristol Quality of Life

Bristol is a contemporary, cutting-edge city with a long list of award-winning attractions and exciting activities for people of all ages and interests. For years now, Bristol has been ranked as the city with the highest quality of living in the whole of The UK. This award has been given by notable establishments like MoneySuperMarket‘s Quality of Life index and Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide. Some compare it with London but much quieter.

Bristol has a population of 400,000, comprising ethnic groups such as English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Ulster, West Indians, Indians, Pakistanis, and others. Though Bristol has a comparatively moderate climate, it is also one of the warmest and sunniest cities in the United Kingdom. However, the Bristol Channel sometimes provides cool sea breezes which lower the summer temperatures considerably. Winters are cold and the city experiences a high rainfall of 741-1060 mm annually.

Bristol lead’s it’s peers in almost all sectors of economy and social features. This city boasts of having the 3rd highest average salary with the highest disposable income along with the lowest rate of unemployment. The three best cities in terms of quality of living are

1. Bristol
2. Edinburgh
3. Cardiff

ABOUT THE TOP 3 CITIES

Bristol
Edinburgh
Cardiff

These cities in terms of standard of living boast of having the safest neighborhoods, the best schools and low levels of unemployment. Even infrastructure is counted as one of the parameters that makes Bristol the best city in the UK.

Many say that the reason behind this spectacular performance is because of it’s rich culture and heritage. On the other hand, it is an historic maritime port with strong seafaring links, breath-taking architecture and a rich cultural heritage that can still be witnessed today.
The many different sides of this intriguing city join seamlessly to create a place that has now become one of the UK’s top destinations for holidays, work and home relocation.

Bristol has a huge range of festivals, events, displays and exhibition to suit all tastes. The annual balloon festival and harbour festival is entertaining for all age groups. Bristol zoo is a great place for children to visit.
Bristol started its life as a small Saxon village. In medieval times it was known as ‘Brigstow’. It’s position at the confluence of the River Avon and the River Frome and its proximity to the sea enabled Brigstow to develop strong trading links and become the thriving city of Bristol that we know today.

Britain's major transatlantic ports

Bristol was one of Britain’s major transatlantic ports and the place where John Cabot set sail in 1497 to discover Newfoundland. Cabot Tower, towering 105 feet above the city was built in 1897 to commemorate the voyage.

Maritime trade was very strong, especially for sugar, tobacco, cocoa and slaves. The maritime trade eventually moved to Liverpool, and industry took over as the predominant business activity for Bristol.

Perhaps the most famous person to be associated with Bristol is the great Victorian engineer, Isambard Kindom Brunel who is responsible for both the world’s first iron steam ship, SS Great Britain, and the impressive Clifton Suspension Bridge. The ship completed many journeys across the Atlantic but finally ran aground in the Falkland Islands. The ship was recovered and restored to its former luxury liner glory. Known as ‘the liner that shrank the world’ you can now tour her at the Great Western Dock.

Overlooking the bridge, 338 feet above the river on Durdham Downs is an observatory with a fascinating camera obscura. The building used to be a windmill known as the Snuff Mill but the machinery inside was destroyed in 1777 after a fire that was caused by the sails turning too fast in a gale. The observatory offers incredible 360degree views around the tower and across the Downs and the suspension bridge. The obscura itself is a forerunner of the modern camera – a box on top of the building that contains a convex lens and sloping mirror that reflects light downwards to a white surface in a darkened room, giving a true image of the surrounding area.

The village of Clifton

The village of Clifton itself is the most elegant quarter of the city, and once a spa resort. It has great views over the river below and the longest Georgian crescent in the country.

The elegant Clifton village has an array of shops and boutiques. Visit the retro shops in Park street and Cabot Circus holds over 120 shops, restaurants and a huge cinema complex.

Bristol has a diverse culture of the arts and has produced many talented artists. There are several galleries and exhibitions on throughout the year which are well worth a visit.

exciting night- time activities

There are equally exciting night- time activities that could be enjoyed in the city as well. it is already known as a place that is extremely urbane in its character and has a colorful and active nightlife. There are lines of restaurants and cafes that will give you a great dining and culinary experience here. You will be able to enjoy wide variety of delectable cuisine that has been prepared in the best of hands.

There are nightclubs and pubs where late night events and parties are a common feature. You can be a part of the nonstop music and the dance until you are tired. And if you are on a different mood to swing to then come and enjoy some of the casino games that Bristol can offer you. Get a hand at a game of poker, roulette or blackjack and win. In addition, even if you can’t there is a great time playing as well. You can also enjoy an evening of laughter and hilarious jokes at comedy clubs where regular shows held.

The City is full of timeless icons, old cobbled streets and markets, ancient city harbour, wonderfully preserved buildings and the incredible Clifton Suspension Bridge. Built in 1836 it suspends 250 feet high and 702 feet long. It gracefully spans the avon gorge between Clifton and Leigh woods. As a pedestrian there is no charge to cross it and the views are exceptional. There is an opportunity to donate money by purchasing a yellow button in order to keep the bridge maintained. There is a visitor centre which explains the history of the bridge and you have the opportunity to buy books and postcards.
Bristol has become and up and coming place to live and work. There are plenty of Work opportunities both full time and part time, particularly seasonal Jobs in the tourist areas. There are several Internet Job boards and Job sites that advertise vacancies in Bristol and surrounding areas.

It mainly has two main railway stations namely Bristol Temple Medas and Bristol Parkway. These stations include high speed trains which are connected to London as well as regional and other train services. From east side the city is linked by road from London and from west it is connected with the help of motorway to Wales. The city also has an international airport which is known as Bristol International Airport. There is also very good bus service in the city which is provided by omnibus company.

Some interesting places to go to in Bristol are:

At-Bristol

At-Bristol is an interactive science exhibition for children. It allows children to learn about science in a way that is fun and enjoyable without boring them. This hands-on exhibition is open throughout the year and boasts many new installations and programmes for children to enjoy. Situated in Bristol’s millennium square, At-Bristol is definitely one of the best days out in Bristol, especially if you have young children.

Cheddar Gorge

Named the second greatest attraction is Britain; Cheddar Gorge is a must-see when visiting Bristol. These lime-stone caves are a natural wonder and will excite and inspire both adults and children. Take a bus-tour around Cheddar Gorge and take some great panoramic pictures of the caves as you go. Open all year round whatever the weather.

The Lanes

The Lanes is a retro bowling venue right in the heart of Bristol city centre. Play a game or two and enjoy retro milkshakes and burgers at a fraction of the price. The Lanes also puts on regular movie nights and gigs; check out their website for more information.

Oasis swimming pool

Oasis is based in Swindon, so it is slightly outside of Bristol, but it’s definitely worth travelling to. A large pool with wave machines, slides and chutes, Oasis swimming pool will put a smile on all faces. This swimming pool has large changing rooms, an on-site restaurant and free car-parking. The city of Bristol is still improving and with time it might turn out to be the hub of the whole peninsula.
Abbeycare Hygrove, nr Bristol

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