Millenium Square is quite a stunning open space in the city center. It is always filled with kids…read moreplaying around in the shiny silvery water features, flatland BMXers practicing their tricks in the middle of the square, or just people sitting around the benches and steps, having a good relax. This square plays host to a variety of things, such as a Sunday art market and numerous festivals when summer rolls by. There is a computery device on one of the square that provides some minutes of fun, where it points to any planet you type in, and tells you how many kilometers it is away from the earth. Interesting, but I think it gets abused by the drunk masses on a Friday and Saturday night. In the floor of the square is an analemma - lights that show the path of the sun as viewed from the earth. On the benches at another end of the square, are brass statues of historical figures, one of which I know is William Tyndale translating the New Testament. All these little quirks of Millenium Square give it its soul, despite it being just a big, flat, bare open space. Thumbs up!

A fabulous public open space. A great big screen for the sports-inclined and fountains and pools…read morefor the little ones. It may have been mid-March, but my little cousin adored the water. He splashed about with his dad for ages. Surrounded by lovely restaurants and lots of museums, etc. (@Bristol). Great for young and old alike.

Cabot Tower is a tower in Bristol, England, situated in a public park on Brandon Hill, between the…read morecity centre, Clifton and Hotwells. It is a grade II listed building. The tower was built in the 1890s to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the journey of John Cabot from Bristol to land which later became Canada. It makes for a pleasant walk through the park, although a steep climb if you go to the top.. Lovely views of Bristol once you are there.

When I asked where we were going, I was told to see the Folly. Who doesn't love a good folly? Turns…read moreout my friend was talking about Cabot Tower. The park surrounding the tower is lovely, even a dreary November day. The tower allows great views of the city. The only problem is getting up and down on a busy Sunday. The steps are narrow and I may have slipped and thought I was going to die. Definitely worth a tour around and hopefully you won't have to pass folks on the stairs as you go up and down.

This is art! This is one of my favourite Banksys!…read more It looks really real and I think, that people, who dontt know, that it is a grafitty, can think in the darkness, that is real...

Great street piece by Banksy, located on Upper Maudlin Street (opposite a Childrens Hospital) in…read moreBristol & worthy of seeking out when living or visiting Bristol if you have an interest in either of Banksy's work or street art generally. Someone has since painted in something different in the boy's hand & I think wire has been added by the owners to protect it a bit, but otherwise it's still looking pretty decent, probably because it's in a more awkward spot to get to, located above a rooftoop.

Worth a visit if you are in the area. The suspension bridge is quite majestic especially if you see…read moreit from the woods there. You can also travel across it by car for one pound, aswell as walk across it. The area around is located In Clifton which has beautiful houses and parks and walks around. There is an observation tower which also offers great views aswell as a cafe..

It's a must visit if you're in Bristol ,the area is so beautiful,the views is gorgeousread more

Framing the end of Bristol's Broad Street, St John's is a rare surviving mediaeval church gate,…read morecomplete with an extensive crypt and interesting furnishings. It is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT). History St John's is the only survivor of the five gate churches that once lined Bristol's inner Saxon town walls. Built originally in the 12th century, there was once another church, dedicated to St Lawrence, on the other side of the tower (which it shared). St Lawrence was deconsecrated and sold in 1580, and demolished by 1824. The crypt dates from two building phases in the 14th century, and had a separate dedication to the Holy cross. The second phase was paid for by William Frampton, who died in 1388, as well as the nave, which also dates from this period. The two-bay chancel was built c. 1480. The church was used until 1984 and was passed to the care of the CCT in 1985. The church had an outlet of the St John's Conduit, built in 1267 to supply water to a Carmelite Priory on the site of the present Colston Hall. This originally came to a conduit house inside the gate, but was moved to its present position on the Quay Street side in 1827 and restored in 1866. The church The exterior is dominated by the tower and the gate. The central gateway and tower dates to the 14th century and incorporates statues of Brennus and Bellinus, legendary founders of Bristol. The two outer walkways and the present church entrance on Nelson Street are Victorian alterations. The gateway is vaulted and the groove of the portcullis are clearly visible in the main arch. To the East, the tall Perpendicular Gothic windows of the nave characterise the nave and chancel. The crypt entrance is in Quay Street. The crypt is low, with vaulted ceilings, and the division between the earlier eastern part and the later western part. In the eastern part is a rather defaced but still impressive merchant's tomb with alabaster effigies of him and his wife, with ten kneeling children in panels below. Next, under an ogee arched and crocketed canopy, is the tomb with an incised cross of Thomas White (d. 1542), Mayor of Bristol in 1530, and his wife. A tomb chest in the western part has incised figures of a man and his two wives, next to a damaged piscina. The church is now entered by a door in Nelson Street, through the Victorian narthex. The nave is a great surprise after the crypt: the six regular tall bays and windows fill the church with light, giving it an unexpectedly spacious feel. The last bay is higher and has two clerestory windows, presumably to light an elaborate rood screen. A tall, sweeping chancel arch leads to the two-bay chancel, which has a peculiar battlemented Tudor screen on the east wall, behind where the reredos once stood. This wall was formed in 1570 to form a vestry behind. The furnishings are particularly rich. At the West End is a gallery dating from the late 17th century, with square fluted pillars, and paintings of saints in the Dutch style. The screen incorporates two fine 16th century carved doors. Next to this is the elaborate font, dating from 1624, with no fewer than 24 panelled faces, decorated with 16 cherubs and 8 rosettes, standing on four clawed lions' feet. The nave pews date from 1621, but were remodelled by the Victorians. The tall nave windows are clear except for fragments of mediaeval stained glass. In the chancel are two impressive monuments: that of the donor Walter Frampton (d. 1388) has an excellent life-like effigy with angels and a long-tailed dog. On the opposite wall are well preserved brasses to Thomas Rowley (d. 1478) and his wife. Other items include the fine Communion table (1635), Communion rails (late 17th century), lectern (c. 1690) and an 18th century sword rest. Before you leave, look down the chancel has a particularly fine decorated floor of colourful Minton tiles.

This full-size replica of a Tudor merchant ship is based in Bristol, although it's very much a…read more'working' vessel that disappears off on harbour tours for tourists, and offshore sailing cruises from March to September. It's an exact copy of the ship that John Cabot and his crew set sail on for Asia more than 500 years ago, planning to trade goods there - although they actually ended up in North America! You can go on board the Matthew when it's moored in Bristol harbour next to the SS Great Britain, or you can join one of the trips - from one hour harbour tours to the regular fish & chip supper sails! They even do specials such as father's day breakfast cruises, so it's worth checking their website for up to date details. On board, you're given a bit of the ship's history, and in such an intimate space you can begin to imagine how cramped life would have been below board.

Regular readers will have already heard me lecture on John Cabot. Basically, he was a Portuguese…read moreman that sailed from Bristol and discovered the new world, landing at Newfoundland. A sources of local pride, he's had various things (shopping centres, schools, towers) named after him and also this replica of the ship he sailed in built. It's an eye opener to have a look round this boat - there's a big effort to make sure you pick up a bit of history when you visit. Also, it's just pretty amazing that he managed to get across the Atlantic at all in something like this, let alone for the first time. Enough of the history. They do offshore sailing (e.g. proper country to country voyages), which means the boats not always moored up in Bristol harbour. When they are in town they have have various different events going on, with education and corporate stuff featuring heavily. For the general tourist they have 'Fish and Ships' cruises. Here you get to go on a cruise around Bristol's docks, drink a bit of wine and have some chips. All very nice and a lovely way to see the sights of Bristol. At sixteen quid it isn't the cheapest of evenings. A good treat for someone that's interested in the history or just would like to get chauffeured round Bristol's docks.

I feel what Bedminster has to offer is often overlooked…read more If your looking for something, more often than not I think you can find it in Bedminster, The High street streching from East Street to North Street is a flurry of pubs, charity shops, coffee houses, trinket shops and travel agents. The abundence of charity shops is a wonderful thing, and gives you a spot to find those truely original household items or pieces of clothing. Local character is evident, in each person and interaction you get this feeling that something great is happening, that thing is the community, everyone walks with thier chins up and a smile ready to share with someone. I know others may really disagree with me, and see the clinical feel of cabot cirucs as a perfect public environment, but for me it is the reality of Bedminster, it is not afraid to show its scars, and it's sometimes dirty underbelly, it's open to you, what you see is what you get. Honest Bedminster

East Street does tend to get quite a bit of bad press and alot of negative comments from members of…read morethe public which I don't entirely feel is quite deserved. I mean ok, fair enough it is quite a grimey place and at night it is not the most welcoming of places but the variety of shops on offer and the sheer number of them menas that this is quite a thriving shopping area. For every chain store, there is an independent sho ptrying to fight against the big companys, and this most surely only be a good thing?! I personally enjoy visiting the charity shops along the High Street as they offer a very wide range of DVDs and Board Games, and becaue there are so many you can be sure that you won't leave empty handed. The Fruit Market is also a personal favourite, esepcially the man outside shouting quite inaudibly all of the days offers! There is such a diverse mix of people treading the streets here in the day, it really is the heart of Bedminster!

This is Bristol's uber landmark - along with the suspension bridge and cabot tower, you could pop…read morethem all on a postcard and have a pretty good tourist notion of Brizzle. I'm quite a fan of this tower. It was begun in 1915, and finally completed in 1925, to commemorate Henry Overton Wills, the first chancellor of Bristol University and whose family were the owners of Bristol Tobacco, and as such were very wealthy. The architect, Sir George Oatley, was told to 'build to last', which he certainly has done. In a neo gothic style, the building dominates the Bristol skyline in a majestic way. On Open Doors day every summer there's a an opportunity to go inside the the tower for free. It is, without doubt, the highest point in Bristol and the view is just phenomenal from the top. It's not just a view though, as you can get up close to the massive bell that chimes each hour, and stand in the bell room as it does so (don't worry, they give you ear plugs, which you'll definitely need!). If you miss out on the open doors day, there's a guide who does a tour on the first tuesday of every month, I believe, though this won't be free but well worth the visit.

Now that it's free of all that scaffolding, Wills Memorial Building is once again standing bright…read moreand proud at the top of Park Street, hosting Bristol University graduations (including mine a few years ago!), exams (again, including mine!), and other grand university ceremonies. It's also got some teaching space here, particularly for the Law students, which is why you'll see many students hanging about here during the day. The patch of green in front of the building is a great place for a picnic, though not particularly quiet or peaceful, given that it's near the busy Triangle and that you'll be surrounded by gossipy undergrads. I came to sit here on my first visit to Bristol when I was looking around the university. I spilt a whole cup of boiling tea on my foot and it swelled up monstrously. I considered myself well and truly physically branded by my Bristol experience, and therefore decided to take up the offer to study here! The Memorial Building is truly beautiful inside; a big cathedral with vast stained glass windows. Walking up the big flight of steps inside really does provide that lovely feeling of hushed awe.

Bristol bridge is sure to feature if you take a walk round the city centre, right next to castle…read morepark this grade 2 listed bridge pretty much forms the link that will welcome people arriving by train who make thier way from temple meads into the city centre. On one side you get a view of castle park and eventually to broadmead and Cobot Circus, and on the other you see all the river bars, which would lead you down towards the habour side, and infront of you is the path towards park street, another great place to visit for shops and nighlife. So you could say bristol bridge is the gateway to all your possibilities within the city centre... well thats what I say anyway. It is beautiful in the summer when the river side is a hub of activity, it was beutiful in the snow when all the city looked so magical, and even in the rain and the cold in winter it still holds some beauty.

Bristol Bridge has an interesting history. It was built in the Medieval times, and at its peak it…read morewas 5 story structure. It is now a Grade 2 listed building so is probably one of Bristol's most proudest feature! It's now used by pretty much all commuters to get to and from the station and the centre. There are lovely views to be had, especially on a clear day, and there are almost always dozens of swans swimming under the bridge which is quite nice!

This is a beautiful little park. Ideal if you are a runner as there is a circular path going around…read morethe whole park, with various different off-shoots if you fancy a change of scenery. The path's are wide as well so there is plenty of room for a group of runners to be running one way and a couple walking their dog going the other way and still space inbetween for a baby in a pram! The park is almost a perfect dome, if you sit at the top you have a pretty good view of the whole surrounding area. There's a childrens play park and some football goals to cater for all. I'm hoping to make the most of parks like this as the summer time begins to invade Bristol!

This park is one that I come to when I want to be surrounded by green. Yes, I hear you, most other…read moreparks are green, but this one really is quite big, that you feel enveloped in all its trees and hills. There are paths running through the whole park, which is ideal for joggers, runners and cyclists. There is also a basketball court at the bottom of the park, along with slides, swings and other playground type things. There is often some art exhibition going on - a few months back there was a large sculpture made out of metal and looked like a prehistoric anthropod just sitting around the middle of the park, which was a fascinating addition. It is now gone though, but not long before there will some other exhibit appearing I'm sure! The people who live around this park are lucky, as I would love to be so close to a park this lovely.