Even for an island with as much history as Britain, the city of Bristol stands out as a place with a varied and colourful past, as well as a place which is easily accessible to both the pedestrian and the cyclist. It's an ideal destination for leisurely exploration with such a varied urban texture that there must surely be something to delight or amaze even the most exacting of visitors.
History of Bristol
The city of Bristol grew up around the confluence of the rivers Avon and Frome. The city's name originates from Old English "Brigstowe", meaning "the place of the bridge". Over the centuries, this has mutated to become "Bristol". Bristol's medieval bridge was an imposing structure with four arches spanning the water and houses built on either side overhanging both the thoroughfare and the water. This bridge was taken down and replaced in 1761 – the Old Bristol Bridge still spans the river today, built on the original medieval foundations.
Bristol's wealth and power in historical times was based on its importance as a port city. By the fourteenth century, Bristol was one of Britains four greatest cities. London lead the way, but Bristol,York and Norwich formed a powerful trinity in the west, north and east of Britain.
Bristol and the Slave Trade
The trade in African slaves began in Britain in Elizabethan times and until almost the end of the seventeenth century was controlled by the Royal African Company, which had a monopoly of the slave trade at that time. In 1698, this monopoly was broken, and Bristol merchants began to profit from the "triangular trade" which exported manufactured goods from Europe to Africa, took slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and brought rum and sugar from the Caribbean to Europe.
Many of Bristol's fine old buildings were constructed with the wealth produced by the slave trade, including the Bristol Old Vic theatre, the Bristol Exchange and the fine terraced streets and pleasant squares of the old city.
Crossing St.Augustine's reach in the Old City's waterfront area is Pero's bridge (pictured below). This is a pedestrian swing bridge built to commemorate Pero, an African slave who lived in Bristol in the eighteenth century. The curiously shaped counter weights are designed to represent African horns and the ladders along the sides of the bridge are meant to represent a ship's rigging.
Bristol's Interlinked Villages
The city of Bristol is very much a series of interlinked villages which offer a variety of historical perspectives to the city visitor. The cobbled streets of the Old City, the docks now converted into a pleasant waterside space, the university quarter and the gracious suburb of Clifton are all easy to explore on foot and in a relatively short space of time.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel left his mark on the city in the nineteenth century; the iconic Clifton suspension bridge spans the Clifton gorge and the S.S. Great Britain is moored in the Great Western Dock not far from the heart of the city.
Visiting Bristol Today
Today's Bristol has a wealth of fascinating buildings and features just waiting to be discovered by the historically minded tourist. From the Christmas Steps (packed with listed buildings dating from the mid-nineteenth century) to the warehouses that line the waterfront, from Cabot's Tower on Brandon Hill to St. Mary's Redcliffe on the edge of the Old City, Bristol's history is neatly laid out to be discovered by the discerning visitor.
The city is criss crossed by cycle paths and was established as the UK's first cycling city in 2008. The city's transport policy is heavily weighted towards pedestrians and cyclists, which adds greatly to the quality of the tourism experience when exploring on foot.
This gracious British city is a fascinating mixture of ancient and modern with new development taking place alongside the architectural marvels of the past and the thread of a thousand years of history imbues the whole place with a unique and vibrant atmosphere.
Art Galleries, music venues, cafe bars and restaurants abound, transport links are good and from the Balloon Festival to the Christmas markets, Bristol has something for everyone and should be part of any UK visitor's itinerary.
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