Bristol
Bristol
Bristol this former maritime city is now one of the UKs most popular tourist destinations and has won awards being named one of the world’s top ten cities. This historic city straddling the River Avon in the southwest of England has a proud and prosperous maritime history and has now transformed itself into a cultural Centre exploiting its rich seafaring and industrial heritage.
Once the starting place for epic voyages of exploration and colonization the city has been called the birthplace of America. John Cabot in 1497 sailed from the port in the Mathew reaching land in Newfoundland which he believed to be Asia. Bristol was an Anglo Saxon settlement known as Bricgstoc and later in the Middle Ages became Bristowe and a major wool exporter with route to Ireland and the Baltic.
Bristol is also synonymous with all things Brunel. Isambard Kingdom Brunel one of the greatest figures of the industrial revolution, is considered one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history.
Brunel designed the city’s Iconic Clifton suspension bridge he built dockyards and railways and his famous ships the Great Western and SS Great Britain were also constructed here, the latter can be seen in the docks fully restored to its former glory sitting in a dry dock on an amazing glass sea.
Visitors can visit the docks and the Harbourside where the 19th century warehouses have been transformed into galleries such as the Arnolfini and chic restaurants and shops. There are also museums such as the M shed which documents Bristol’s industrial and social history.
The city is also famous in the world of aviation in 1976 the supersonic airliner Concorde which was built in Filton entered commercial service.
Activities in Bristol
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