Whether Bristol is your intended destination or just a brief stopover on the way to your new home, we have compiled this guide to help you get your bearings on arrival. To obtain more details about the city check out the websites listed at the end of this profile.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published mid-2006 population estimates for Bristol of 410,500 people.
| Bristol is the gateway to the South West of England. The city spans a broad area, extending to the Bristol Channel; the area of Bristol near the coast is called Avonmouth. Bristol is England's eighth most populous city and is situated by the River Avon on the borders on the Unitary Districts of Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, in South West England. |
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Bristol has experienced substantial economic success during the past decade based on modern industries, finance, computers and high tech industries. The city has also increased the proportion of working age population with degree level qualifications and its international connectivity – resulting in more flights to business destinations from its regional airport than ever before.
Bristol boasts an acclaimed restaurant scene, with cuisine from all around the world. Whether your style is slick city restaurants, home baked delights, or waterside dining, Bristol has a gastronomic reputation that is hard to beat. The Harbourside is lined with stunning restaurants such as Severnshed, Brunel's converted boatshed, Mud Dock, above a cycle shop and Riverstation the converted river police station.
Bristol offers many public transport options including; air travel, ferries, buses, coach travel and train services. Bristol International Airport (BIA) is the UK's fastest growing regional airport and is situated 8 miles south of the city centre on the A38.
Bristol is also at the hub of the national rail network in the West of England. Local, regional and inter-city services operate from the main station at Temple Meads. There are two major rail stations serving Bristol – Bristol Temple Meads on the eastern edge of the city centre and Bristol Parkway to the north of the city in South Gloucestershire.
In addition to this there are a number of ferry boat companies that operate passenger services throughout the Historic Harbour in Bristol as well as leisure trips and educational tours. Bristol City Council financially supports an early morning and late afternoon commuter ferry service operated by The Bristol Ferry Boat Company from Temple Meads Station and Hotwells to the city centre, calling at other landing stages by request.
First Group operate the majority of bus services in and around Bristol. There are also a small number of bus operators that run commercial and local authority supported services in the Bristol area.
| As a European Centre of Culture, Bristol is exciting and unconventional, arty, amusing and animated with a spirit of adventure. Museums, nightlife and the arts combine in Bristol to create a place quite unlike any other. The Tobacco Factory, Bristol's newest independent venue, presents new and innovative performance art and the Bristol Old Vic is the UK's oldest working theatre. |
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Festivals celebrating everything from film, music and dance to hot-air ballooning, harbour life and wildlife showcase a thriving cultural scene. Art lovers can take in an exhibition at the fashionable Watershed Media Centre or the fine art exhibitions at the Royal West of England Academy. Bristol's latest and much acclaimed cultural attraction is the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum.
Bristol's Harbourside is lined with attractions, cinemas, boats, restaurants and museums. Imaginative new visitor attractions have brought more life to the waterfront. The Watershed Media Centre presents cutting-edge culture in a digital age and in the fascinating and futuristic At-Bristol, you can enjoy an interactive adventure of a lifetime, or see an Imax movie on the biggest screen in the South West. Catch a glimpse of the Bristol of yesterday on a historic harbour boat trip. The ss Great Britain, The Matthew and the Bristol Industrial Museum, all on the quayside, celebrate the achievements of Bristol's pioneering seafarers and industrial barons.
Beautiful Clifton Village is home to sweeping Georgian terraces, wonderful boutiques, galleries and cafes, and one of Bristol's most recognised sites -Clifton Suspension Bridge. Designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, its spectacular setting on the cliffs of the Avon Gorge has made it the symbol of Bristol, drawing thousands of visitors a year just to stroll across for views of the gorge and elegant Clifton.
Nearby, Bristol Zoo Gardens houses over 300 exotic and endangered species, featuring Zona Brazil, Seal & Penguin Coasts, Gorilla Island, the Reptile House, Bug World and much, much more.
In and around Bristol, medieval castles and grand houses and gardens reveal a glimpse into a vanished age. In Bristol, The Red Lodge has an Elizabethan-style garden and the last surviving suite of 16th-century rooms and The Georgian House, home of a wealthy 18th century sugar merchant. Further out is Blaise Castle, a fine 18th-century house set in parklands and Berkeley Castle, a romantic medieval castle surrounded by Elizabethan terraced gardens. Horticultural gems include Bristol's Botanic Garden, hidden away near the Avon Gorge and the National Arboretum at Westonbirt.
As many cities in England, Bristol offers a wide selection of education options for all ages and is home to the City of Bristol College, the largest further education college in the South West region of the UK.
City Council
www.bristol.gov.uk
Local News
www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/
Tourism Information
www.visitbristol.co.uk
Monthly Climate Statistics
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Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
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Avg. Max. |
8°C |
7°C |
10°C |
12°C |
17°C |
19°C |
22°C |
21°C |
18°C |
14°C |
11°C |
8°C |
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Avg. Min. |
3°C |
3°C |
5°C |
6°C |
9°C |
12°C |
14°C |
14°C |
12°C |
9°C |
6°C |
4°C |
GMT +/-0
Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts on Sunday, 30 March 2008 at 1:00 a.m. local standard time. Daylight Savings Time (DST) ends on Sunday, 26 October 2008 at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time
