A Brief History of Bristol
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012Bristol is seen as the informal capital of the West Country of England and is the 8th largest city in the UK. Its ballpark population is 433,100 (2009) and in the bigger urban area 1,070,000 (2007). The Royal Charter was obtained in the year 1155, plus in 1373 county status was given. Somerset and Gloucestershire are the counties on its borders and the historic Bath, Gloucester and Cardiff are its closest cities. Archaeological artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era, show that there has been living populace in the Bristol area for roughly 60,000 years.
The large boating and shipping heritage associated with Bristol came from the city’s construction around the River Avon and the short coastline of the River Severn Estuary. The primary industries in the thirteenth century were shipbuilding and manufacturing. Later in the fifteenth century, commerce diffused to Ireland and Iceland. Then in the sixteen century, trading spread further abroad to Spain and the Americas.
Bristol Cathedral was erstwhile known as the Abbey of St Augustine and dates back to 1140. Slave trade among the Americas and the UK was prevalent in the seventeenth century until it was abolished in 1807. The city has a firm link with the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel who composed and constructed the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Bristol Temple Meads Station, in 2002 Brunel was voted as one of the most influential people in Britain’s history.
Bristol University was formed in 1909. In 1992, the West of England University was developed from Bristol Polytechnic, one of the country’s leading centres for design and media studies.
In World War II, the city centre was brutally bombed by the German Luftwaffe in a bid to cripple England’s shipping routes in the south-west of the country. The city was reconstructed in the 1960s. The construction included tower blocks and road expansion.
Bristol is an great base for visiting the West Country and is a culturally vivacious city, with a wide assortment of attractions and events.
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* At-Bristol illustrates the functions of our world. Plus explores is a mixture of particular exhibitions – from animation to flight, illusions and sport!
* Bristol Zoo Gardens is the world’s 5th oldest zoo and the oldest zoo beyond a capital city.
*Blue Reef Aquarium is home to everything from seahorses and puffer fish to living corals and tropical sharks.
* Brunel’s SS Great Britain is the world’s first steam-powered, iron hulled, screw propeller-driven passenger liner. The ship was built by Brunel in 1843 and now preserved in a dry-dock alongside the city’s floating harbour.
* Clifton Suspension Bridge: perhaps Bristol’s most famous landmark, Brunel’s 19th century suspension bridge strings the spectacular Avon Gorge at a height of 75m.
* Cabot Circus – this provides visitors to the city centre with over 120 shops, which includes 15 major flagship stores.
* Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Bristol’s key museum.
* Ferry Boat Company has options from a round trip tour; hopping on or off or just getting from A to B and to lots of harbour-side attractions.
* Pirate Walks is a 1 hour guided walking tour of Bristol’s historical harbour-side. There are tours on foot of Bristol’s Maritime History through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
* Clifton Downs and Observatory is in The Downs, which is a prominent sweeping spot inside Bristol, with views across the suspension bridge and the Avon Gorge. On top of the Downs is the Observatory, housing a camera obscura and a cave running downwards to an observation point within a straight cliff face.
*Bristol to Bath Railway Cycle Path runs on a no longer in service railway line, which goes from central Bristol to Bath.
Some Festivals, etc:
* Bristol Balloon Festival
: St Pauls Carnival
: Bristol Balloon Fiesta
Bristol Open Doors Day
: Venn Festival
: Mayfest
Festival of Ideas
* Bristol Harbour Festival
Soil Association Organic Food Festival
* Bristol International Kite Festival
Visit Bristol We want you to get out there and enjoy everything Bristol. This is our online video guide to whats waiting for you…. now do it! Things to do Bristol.