BS 1
Bristol City Centre, Redcliffe
Bristol City Centre
Bristol city centre is the commercial, cultural and business centre of Bristol, England.
It is the area south of the central ring road and north of the Floating Harbour, bounded north by St Paul's and Easton, east by Temple Meads and Redcliffe, and west by Clifton and Canon's Marsh.
It is contained entirely within the Council ward of Cabot.
Historic Centre
The historic heart of the city was immediately north of Bristol Bridge, between the River Frome and the River Avon, in the area of High Street, Broad Street and Corn Street.
The eastern part of this area, between the bridge and Bristol Castle, was destroyed in 1940 during the Bristol Blitz, but the western part largely survived, and contains many historic buildings.
After the war, the blitzed area was redeveloped, and Castle Park was also created.
Attractions of BS 1 Area
Design West
( earlier The Architecture Centre )
The Design West (earlier The Architecture Centre) encourages everyone to discover, enjoy and get involved in buildings and places.
Home to talks, events, education programmes & the co-ordinating hub for Bristol Open Doors.
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16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
Official website :
The Centre
The course of the River Frome, immediately to the west of the historic centre, was covered over in stages, in the second half of the 19th century.
The area became the hub of the city's tramway network, and was known as the Tramways Centre.
It was so called long after the last trams left in 1939, but is now known simply as the Centre.
Between 1936 and 1938, the Centre was enlarged when more of the River Frome, between Broad Quay and St Augustine's Parade, was covered in, making way for an inner ring road.
These planning decisions are beginning to be reversed, for example, the ring road is no longer circular, as the stretch through Queen Square has been closed and returned to its use as a public park.
St Augustine's Parade is also becoming less car oriented, as roads have been narrowed, turned into bus lanes or closed altogether.
The Centre was redeveloped for the millennium, with fountains and a cascade being erected.
Broadmead
The area northeast of the historic area, around Broadmead, was redeveloped after the war despite overwhelming public opinion against it, and the streets and shops in Broadmead became the main shopping district of the city.
Like most 1950s buildings in Britain, affordable but architecturally uninteresting utilitarian buildings form the bulk of the Broadmead area.
In the 1980s, some of these were demolished to make way for the Galleries shopping centre, which is a three level covered street.
In 2008, the shopping area was extended over the central ring road to produce a new shopping centre, Cabot Circus, which opened in September 2008.
Harbourside
The City Docks were immediately south of the Centre.
Although most ships used Avonmouth Docks after the Royal Edward Dock was opened in 1908, ocean-going ships were regularly seen at the Centre until the 1960s.
In 1972 the Royal Portbury Dock was opened, and the City Docks were closed.
The harbour buildings, including the tobacco warehouses, became redundant.
The harbourside has been regenerated in the 1990s and 2000s, with the refurbishment of warehouses as bars, restaurants, the Watershed Media Centre and the Arnolfini Art Gallery, as well as the creation of At-Bristol (We the Curious).
Old City
Old City is the peninsular area to the north east of St Augustine's Reach, It contains St Nicolas Market, Queen Square, King Street and many bars and restaurants, it is a key part of Bristol's night life.
Redcliffe
Redcliffe was originally part of the manor of Bedminster, held by the Earls of Gloucester, divided from Bristol by the river Avon. Relatively deep water alongside the outcrops of red sandstone upon which St Mary Redcliffe sits encouraged the development of wharves.
Rivalries existed between residents and merchants of Redcliffe and those of Bristol. The only fixed crossing of the river was Bristol Bridge, although there were numerous ferries.
In the 12th century, Robert Fitzroy gave the Knights Templar part of Redcliffe, which then became known as Temple Fee.
The Templars were granted the power to hold courts and execute felons.
This right passed, along with the fee, to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem after the suppression of the Templars.
Early recorded industries in Redcliffe include weaving, fulling and dyeing.
It is likely that fulling and dyeing, which could be quite noxious processes, were not welcome within the town walls of Bristol and so were established here, nearby but outside the city walls.
In the 13th century Redcliffe and Bristol underwent a rapid expansion, in King Henry III's reign due to a 'major harbour improvement' (Broad Quay or St. Augustines Reach).
This involved the construction of a 'Great Ditch' which formed a new course for the River Frome through St Augustine's Marsh.
This provided more space for ships to moor and new quays were built.
In the same period a stone bridge, Bristol Bridge, was constructed.
To achieve this, the river Avon was diverted through Redcliffe, along the line of the 'Portwall' and solid stone foundations laid for the bridge, behind wattle and daub coffer dams.
"The men of Redcliffe" were enjoined to help these projects by Henry III.
St Mary's church and surrounding modern development, seen from the Cabot Tower.
A hundred years later, in 1373, Redcliffe became part of Bristol to become the city and county of Bristol.
The granting of county status was important as it meant that legal disputes no longer had to be taken to courts in Gloucester, or Ilminster in Somerset.
In 1782 William Watts converted his house, near St Mary Redcliffe, into the world's first shot tower, in order to make lead shot by his innovative tower process.
The Redcliffe Shot Tower remained a well-known feature of Redcliffe until 1968, when it was demolished to make way for road improvements, and shot manufacture transferred to the Cheese Lane Shot Tower on the banks of the Floating Harbour.
Brandon Hill and Cabot Tower
Hilly park and popular picnic spot with nature reserve and views from Cabot Tower.
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Cabot Tower opening times
Monday to Sunday: 8:15am to 6.15pm
Closed: 25 and 26 December and 1 January
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Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England. Founded in 1140 and consecrated in 1148, it was originally St Augustine's Abbey but after the Dissolution of the Monasteries it became in 1542 the seat of the newly created Bishop of Bristol and the cathedral of the new Diocese of Bristol. It is a Grade I listed building.
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College Green, Bristol BS1 5TJ
Official website :
Bristol Old Vic
Built in 1766 as a place where the people of Bristol could come together, Bristol Old Vic is the oldest continuously working theatre in the English speaking world.
It was built as a symbol of the pride we have in Bristol city and what it can achieve and remains a place of joy, discovery and adventure to this day.
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Official website :
Arnolfini Art Gallery
Arnolfini is a centre for contemporary arts based on Bristol’s harbourside in the heart of the city. Founded in 1961, the organisation is dedicated to producing and presenting visual arts, performance, dance, film, music and events, underpinned by a commitment to a dynamic civic role in the city.
Front Room Opening Times
Mon: 9am–6pm
Tue-Fri: 9am–8.30pm
Sat-Sun: 10am–6pm
Please be aware these opening times may change from time to time due to events.
Bookshop Opening Times
Everyday 11am - 6pm
BBF Arnolfini cafe/bar Opening Times
Bar opening hours:
Sun–Wed: 9am–8pm
Thu - Sat: 9am–11pm
Kitchen opening hours:
Mon-Wed: 10am–4pm
Thu–Fri: 10am–8pm
Sat: 9am - 8pm
Sun: 9am - 4pm
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16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
Official website :
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Banksy - Grim Reaper
Stencil on the waterline of Thekla, an entertainment boat in central Bristol.
The section of the hull with this picture has now been removed and is on display at the M Shed museum.
The image of Death is based on a nineteenth-century etching illustrating the pestilence of The Great Stink.
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Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN
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Banksy - Mild mild west
The Mild Mild West is a mural by graffiti artist Banksy, sited on No. 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol. It depicts a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police.
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Banksy - Naked man- well hung lover
Well Hung Lover, also called Naked Man Hanging From Window and simply Naked Man, is a mural by the anonymous street artist Banksy, on a wall in Frogmore Street, Bristol, England.
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Banksy - the girl with pierced
Banksy's "The girl with pierced " works, this first appeared on the side of a building in Albion Docks in Hanover Place, in Bristol's Harbourside in October 2014.
It depicts a take on Vermeer’s famous Girl with a Pearl Earring, replacing the girl’s earring with an outdoor security alarm.
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Banksy's You Don't Need Planning...
Behind the central library, is one of Banksy’s most simple pieces, painted in 2011.
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Bearpit
Locally, people call the St James Barton roundabout in Bristol’s city centre, The Bearpit. Rumour has it that the name was coined by street cleaners who thought that the layout of the 1970s subway system resembled the sunken bearpits commonly seen at zoos.
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St James Barton Roundabout, Bristol BS1 3LY
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Bristol Aquarium
Dive into the ocean and discover the wonders of the deep in this colourful aquarium, right in the heart of Bristol. Explore more than 40 naturally-themed displays and spot the thousands of amazing aquatic creatures, including tropical sharks, rays, seahorses, puffer fish, piranhas, and so many more.
Opening hours: 10am – 5pm daily
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Last entry is one hour before closing.
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We are open all bank holidays. The only day we are closed is Christmas Day.
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Closing times vary seasonally throughout the year. We will be extending our opening hours during the Summer Holidays.
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Official website:
Bristol Hippodrome
The Bristol Hippodrome theatre has diversified over the years to encapsulate the full spectrum of live theatrical entertainment. From top West End shows Cats, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, We Will Rock You, Dirty Dancing and Legally Blonde, to name more than a few, through to regular visits from the best in Opera and Ballet, Comedy, Childrens’ Shows, Concerts and even the Circus!
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St Augustine's Parade, Bristol BS1 4UZ
Official website :
Bristol Beacon
Bristol Beacon is Bristol’s largest concert hall, presenting concerts and entertainment by major names in rock, pop, jazz, folk, world and classical music, stand up comedy and light entertainment, as well as local choirs, orchestras and schools.
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Official website :
Broadmead
Broadmead is a street in the central area of Bristol, England, which has given its name to the principal shopping district of the city.
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Cabot Circus
Cabot Circus is a shopping centre in Bristol, England. It is adjacent to Broadmead, a shopping district in Bristol city centre.
The Cabot Circus development area contains shops, offices, a cinema, hotel and 250 apartments. It covers a total of 139,350 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft) floor space, of which 92,900 m2 (1,000,000 sq ft) is retail outlets and leisure facilities.
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Glass House, 25 Penn St, Bristol BS1 3BX
Official website :
Central Library
Bristol Central Library is a historic building on the south side of College Green, Bristol, England. It contains the main collections of Bristol's public library.
Built in 1906 by Charles Holden, its design was influential in the development of Edwardian Free Style architecture
Opening times:
Monday10am to 7pm
Tuesday10am to 7pm
WednesdayClosed
Thursday10am to 7pm
Friday10am to 5pm
Saturday10am to 5pm
Sunday1pm to 5pm
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College Green, Bristol BS1 5TL
Official website :
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/libraries-archives/central-library
Georgian House Museum
The Georgian House is a historic building at 7 Great George Street, Bristol, England. It was originally built around 1790 for a wealthy sugar merchant and is now furnished and displayed as a typical late 18th century town house.
Opening times:
Monday 11am–4pm
Tuesday 11am–4pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday Closed
Friday Closed
Saturday 11am–4pm
Sunday 11am–4pm
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7 Great George St, Bristol BS1 5RR
Official website :
John Wesley's Chapel- The New Room
The New Room is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol, England.
It was built in 1739 by John Wesley and is the oldest Methodist chapel in the world.
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New Room, 36 The Horsefair, Bristol BS1 3JE
Official website :
M Shed Museum
M Shed is a museum in Bristol, England, located on Prince's Wharf beside the Floating Harbour in a dockside transit shed formerly occupied by Bristol Industrial Museum. The museum's name is derived from the way that the port identified each of its sheds. M Shed is home to displays of 3,000 Bristol artefacts and stories, showing Bristol's role in the slave trade and items on transport, people, and the arts. Admission is free.
The museum opened in June 2011, with exhibits exploring life and work in the city.In its first year, 700,000 people visited the new museum.
Opening times
​Monday Closed
Tuesday 10am–5pm
Wednesday 10am–5pm
Thursday 10am–5pm
Friday 10am–5pm
Saturday 10am–5pm
Sunday 10am–5pm
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Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN
Official website :
Queen Square
Queen Square is a 2.4 hectares (5.9 acres) Georgian square in the centre of Bristol, England.
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Spike Island Artspace
Spike Island is an international arts centre dedicated to celebrating the very best in contemporary art. A short walk from Bristol attractions SS Great Britain and the M Shed, Spike Island is free to visit.
OPENING HOURS
GALLERY
Tuesday to Sunday 12–5pm
CAFÉ
Monday to Friday 8.30am–5pm
Saturday to Sunday 10am–5pm
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133 Cumberland Rd, Bristol BS1 6UX
Official website :
St John's church
St John on the Wall in Bristol is a historic church in the care of heritage charity The Churches Conservation Trust. The upper church and its medieval vaulted crypt is located at the lower end of Broad Street and is built into the old city's medieval walls.
Opening times:
Opened by volunteer stewards on Saturdays and Wednesdays 11am - 2pm.
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Official website :
St Nicholas's Church
The present church of St Nicholas is probably the fourth building of that name on this approximate site. It is very close to the original quayside on the Avon, which explains the dedication to St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.
The crypt of the church, built in about 1400, still remains. The rest of the church was redesigned by James Bridges, an American-born architect who worked in Bristol from 1756 to 1763. He also was responsible for the new Bristol Bridge
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St Nicholas St, Bristol BS1 1UE
Official website :
https://www.stnicholasbristol.org/
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St. Mary Redcliffe Church
St. Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of Bristol, England.
The church is a short walk from Bristol Temple Meads station.
The church building was constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and it has been a place of Christian worship for over 900 years.
The church is renowned for the beauty of its Gothic architecture and is classed as a Grade I listed building by Historic England.
It was famously described by Queen Elizabeth I as "the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England."
Opening times
Weekdays: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturdays: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Sundays: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Services are held at 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:15am and 6:30pm.
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The Parish Office, 12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA
Official website :
http://www.stmaryredcliffe.co.uk/
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Temple Church
Temple Church, also known as Holy Cross Church,is a ruined church in Redcliffe, Bristol, England.
It is on the site of a previous, round church of the Knights Templar, which they built on land granted to them in the second quarter of the 12th century by Robert of Gloucester. In 1313 the Knights Hospitaller acquired the church, following the suppression of the Templars, only to lose it in 1540 at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. By the early 14th century, the church served as the parish church for the area known as Temple Fee. From around the same time, the rebuilding of the church on a rectangular plan started. This was completed by 1460, with the construction of a leaning west tower...
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Bristol City Hall
City Hall is a Grade II listed building in Bristol’s centre and makes a great venue for weddings and civil partnerships, with several rooms to choose from.
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College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR
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Bus and Coach Station
Bristol Bus and Coach Station serves the city of Bristol in the west of England. It is situated at Marlborough Street, near the Broadmead shopping area. It was opened in 1958 by the Bristol Omnibus Company, and redeveloped in 2006.
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Official website :
https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/coach-stations/bristol
Castle Park
Large green space in the city centre.
Facilities and features
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remains of Bristol Castle’s keep, walls and vaults (Grade II listed)
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bandstand used for events and music sessions
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St Peter’s Church (Grade II* listed)
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physic garden for growing medicinal plants, maintained by St Mungo’s Broadway
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seven Silver Birch trees in memory of the seven beaches of the D-Day landings
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Christmas Steps
Christmas Steps is a historic street in the city centre of Bristol, England.
The steep-slanted steps were constructed in September 1669 and were paid for by wealthy wine merchant, Jonathan Blackwell. Prior to this there had been a steep, muddy and narrow street leading from the bridge over the Frome outside the city walls near the old St Bartholomew's Hospital, towards St Michael's church.
The four flights of steps which are dated 1865 and 1881 are grade II listed buildings and are now home to a variety of shops.
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Christmas Steps, Bristol BS1 5BS
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Harbourside
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of 70 acres (28.3 ha). It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and providing a tidal by-pass for the river. It is often called the Floating Harbour as the water level remains constant and it is not affected by the state of the tide on the river.
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King Street
King Street is a 17th-century street in the historic city centre of Bristol, England.
The street lies just south of the old town wall and was laid out in 1650 to develop the Town Marsh, the area then lying between the south or Marsh Wall and the Avon. The north side was developed first and the south side in 1663, when the street was named after Charles II.
The section of the city wall is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
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Millennium Square
Millennium Square is a location in the centre of Bristol, England.
It was built as part of the At Bristol (now We the Curios) development, and has become a popular public area.
Millennium Square is home to a BBC Big Screen and a large water feature.
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Millennium Promenade, Bristol BS1 5TY
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Palestine Museum & Cultural Centre
The Museum was founded in 2013, and is run entirely by volunteers.
It explores Palestinian culture, heritage and political life...
Open on:
Saturdays & Sundays 11am to 6pm
~ Free Entry ~
Donations gratefully accepted
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Official website :
Red Lodge Museum
The Red Lodge Museum is a historic house museum in Bristol, England.
The original building was Tudor/Elizabethan, and construction began in 1579–1580, possibly to the design of Serlio. The main additional building phases are from the 1730s and the early 19th century.
The Red Lodge is a free museum but runs on donations, and is managed as a branch of Bristol City Council.
Opening times
Monday 11am–4pm
Tuesday 11am–4pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday Closed
Friday Closed
Saturday 11am–4pm
Sunday 11am–4pm
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Official website :
St James Priory
The church of St James has an interesting history and is one of the oldest churches surviving in the City of Bristol. It was founded by Robert Earl of Gloucester in 1129 as a Benedictine Priory, a dependent cell of Tewkesbury. Robert also built Bristol Castle, with stone shipped over from Caen tradition says and for every ten stones brought for the castle, one was given for the priory.
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Official website :
St Nicholas Markets
St Nicholas Market is a market in Corn Street, Bristol, England in The Exchange in the Bristol City Centre. It is also home to the Bristol Farmers' Market, the Nails Market, and the Slow Food Market, all of which are located in front of the Exchange.
Opening Times
Monday to Saturday: 9.30am to 5pm
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The Corn Exchange, Corn St, Bristol BS1 1JQ
Official website :
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/web/st-nicholas-markets
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St Stephen's Church
Designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building, Saint Stephen’s church lies on the ancient riverside boundary of the Anglo Saxon sacred city. Work on diverting the river Frome to form Bristol Harbour was completed in 1248. In the same century Saint Stephen’s was developed by a Benedictine cell from Glastonbury Abbey.
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21 St Stephen's St, Bristol BS1 1EQ
Official website :
https://www.saint-stephens.com/
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Stokes Croft
Stokes Croft is a road in Bristol, England. It is part of the A38, a main road north of the city centre.
Locals refer to the area around the road by the same name, however, this is not officially called Stokes Croft and is merely a nickname for the area.
The area was damaged by aerial bombing during the Bristol Blitzin World War II, and was subsequently blighted by a plan to widen this part of the A38, but in more recent times it has rebuilt itself as a centre of art, music and counter-cultural lifestyle.
Banksy's mural The Mild Mild West is on Stokes Croft.
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Temple Meads Station
Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England.
It is an important transport hub for public transport in the city.
In addition to the train services there are bus services to many parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry to the city centre.
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Official website :
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The Brunel Institute and SS Great Britain
Brunel's SS Great Britain is one of the most important historic ships in the world. When she was launched in 1843 she was called 'the greatest experiment since the Creation'.
By combining size, power and innovative technology, Brunel created a ship that changed history. His vision for the SS Great Britain made her the great-great-grandmother for all modern ships.
BRUNEL'S SS GREAT BRITAIN OPENING TIMES
SPRING/SUMMER OPENING TIMES
29 March 2022 – October 2022
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 6pm
AUTUMN/WINTER OPENING TIMES
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 4:30pm
Last entry: One hour before closing
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Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol BS1 6TY
Official website :
https://www.ssgreatbritain.org/
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Tourist Information Centre
The Bristol Tourist Information Centre is for visitors and locals alike, and offers everything from help with bus timetables and accommodation booking to souvenirs and gifts.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Sunday 10am – 5pm
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The Galleries, Ground Floor, Bristol, BS1 3XD
Official website :
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We the Curious
We The Curious (previously @Bristol) is a science centre and charity in
Bristol.
The aim of the centre is "to create a culture of curiosity".
It displays interactive hands-on exhibits, produces shows and workshops for visitors from schools and for members of the public, and is also home of the United Kingdom's first 3D planetarium.
Opening times
Term time
Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm
Bristol school holidays and bank holidays
Monday to Sunday, 10am-5pm
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One Millennium Square, Anchor Rd, Bristol BS1 5DB
Official website :
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