My wedding anniversary is this weekend, and MrsH and I are off to Bath/Bristol. We have a day in Bristol to pootle about – can any of you recommend me a couple of activities? Sights, galleries, museums, history, possibly all combined into a walking tour? Anything we definitely shouldn’t miss?

Ta!

If the weather’s good walk down the river and visit SS Great Britain?

Following with interest as I just moved to Bristol in July and have hardly had a chance to explore yet!

Yes, a lap of the water is always good – from the Harbourside, down Hotwells Road, round the basin and then up the other side towards M-Shed.

A wander up the hill to the Suspension Bridge is worth it – make sure you check out the Camera Obscura.

Avoid – Broadmead, Cabot Circus, Whiteladies Road.

Park street and Cabot tower are worth a visit. Walk in Ashton court or Leigh woods if you are by the suspension bridge and the sightseeing open top bus is a great way to see the city.

You could always do a bit of Banksy spotting if that’s your thing as well.

Wait till next year and go back when the Bespoked bike show is on 🙂

Here’s another vote for the SS Great Britain

Wander round the harbourside and pop into the new M Shed museum, and then onto the SS Great Britain (a bit expensive to get in but you can use the tickets for a year).

Also go and see the graffiti on Nelson Street -See here for details – a quite amazing sight. Nearby is the Corn Street / St Nicholas Markets area with some nice old buildings, and the markets are worth a visit and have some great food stalls in them.

As above the Suspension Bridge is a must, and you could have a wander round Clifton Village which has some quite twee shops and a several nice cafes / restaurants for lunch (try the Primrose Cafe on Boyce’s Avenue)

A wander up to Cabot Tower on Brandon Hill (off Park Street) will provide some fabulous views of the city.

Go and have a wander around Stokes Croft for that edgy artsy sort of feel. Pieminister Pies have a place there too!

echo the above. You can pop across the water by the SS GB for about 70p or you can do trips down the river (not tried one). Definitely pop up to the suspension bridge and walk up to the observatory overlooking it on the Clifton side. Lots of good little places to eat. There is Bar Chocolate in Clifton to warm you up if it’s a bit nippy. Museum and art gallery at the Triangle – look for the big Wills Memorial building which is where they do the University graduation ceremonies (top of Park Street). Also lots of things down by the Arnolfini (harbourside at the bottom of Park street – along from the SS GB).

SS Great Britain. Don’t miss the chance to dress-up as a Victorian.

What they all said – the SS Great Britain ticket gets you into the adjacent Brunel museum, onto The Matthew and (I think – though I have not tried this) into the Bloodhound SSC display (if that’s you’re thing)

Coolio – thanks very much for the suggestions. From that I’m thinking a wander around from the old town bit, to the docks bit, to the SS Great Britain, then over to the cathedral and cabot tower bit, and then on to the city museum if it’s a bit miserable outside and I’m feeling dinosaury… Or up to the Clifton bridge if the day is nice enough…

Final question – any good pub recommendations in the middle of the city? Real ale, and decent bar food a must…

i was a bit underwhelmed by the SS GB tbh… felt it had been dumbed down a bit too much to cater for the school kids…

cabot tower is a right nice place for a snog romantic moment too

We spent a day there in April on way back from Brecon Beacons

Docks / Watershed (arts centre)
Clifton Suspension Bridge & Observatory
Wander round Clifton
Late (very good) lunch Albion Clifton link

As above SS GB too.

For decent food in the harbourside, try here: http://no1harbourside.co.uk/

Alternatively, there’s the Brunel Buttery.

Helios , keep an eye out for a distracted pair in their late 40’s. That’ll be Me and Mrs S trying to get to terms with being a couple again after dropping Sandwich Junior off at UWE. (He’s going to be busy meeting the 35 females on his nursing course!)

i was a bit underwhelmed by the SS GB tbh… felt it had been dumbed down a bit too much to cater for the school kids

Lol; me and some random kid had a great time playing with the tiller and mainsail simulation. I only had the patience to read ~half the info-boards in the exhibition. Still spent an entire afternoon there!

The only improvement I can think of is that if there was more Victorian clobber, everyone would explore the ship “in character”. That would be cool.

[overgrown school-kid]

Visit the ringlets posh Coffee cafe with Mr A.Brush up on your Knowledge of Fixies and SS bikes first.