Tour Locations | The Best of Bristol: A Guide to the Old City and its Brilliant Pubs
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LOCATION 1
Start - Bristol Bridge
Hi there. I’m Heather. Welcome to my tour.
You should be standing next to the Bella Vista restaurant. Please stay where you are while I introduce myself and explain briefly explain how VoiceMap...
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LOCATION 2
Castle Park
When you reach the end of the bridge, turn right to enter the park and follow the footpath alongside the water, being careful to stay out of the cycle lane.
You're in Castle Park and it's named...
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LOCATION 3
Information Board
You'll soon see an information board on the wall on your right. Stop when you reach it.
The area has always been the heart of the city, and this was where most people lived and shopped for hund...
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LOCATION 4
Bristol's breweries
Keep going along this path.
Now, here’s where my passion for beer starts to shine through…
On the other side of the water on your right, beer has been brewed almost continuously for 300 year...
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LOCATION 5
Steps
Take the steps down to your right, leading to the wavy bridge, called Castle Bridge.
Or, for a step-free route, take the next path to your right and loop around. If you are taking the step-free...
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LOCATION 6
Castle Bridge
Stop around here and look to your left.
You can see that some of the water goes around into the far left corner. This was the old castle moat. Tunnels still run right underneath the park. It's ...
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LOCATION 7
Castle Park Landing ferry stop
When the path splits, take the sharp left turn, towards the park.
Before commercial breweries, people would have made their own ale or bought some from a neighbor. Before the Black Death, only ...
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LOCATION 8
Bristol Castle Sally Port
The short wall to your left side curves around and joins a path leading off to the left. There's an information board on the brick wall with railings above. Carefully cross the cycle lane and go an...
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LOCATION 9
Zig Zag path
Take the right-hand fork of the path and follow it as it zigs-zags all the way up to the church.
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LOCATION 10
St Peter's Church
When this path reaches the wall of the church, head left.
As well as lots of shops and houses, the area of Castle Park had at least ten pubs, a school, a hospital and two churches when the bombs...
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LOCATION 11
Physic Gardens
At the end of the Physic Gardens, follow the church wall around to your right. There is a board on the side of the church remembering locals who died in the air raids.
Diagonally to your left, ...
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LOCATION 12
St Edith's Well
There's a glass circle on the floor nearby. That's St Edith's Well, believed to be Bristol's first water source. There's an information board next to it if you are interested in finding out more.
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LOCATION 13
Newgate Prison site
If you don't fancy stopping for some nice falafel at Edna's Kitchen, keep going past it and use the pedestrian crossing to reach the other side of the road by café Nero. Once across the road, turn ...
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LOCATION 14
Wine Street
Keep walking along Wine Street, which was once was such a busy shopping street with many beautiful buildings.
You'll need to cross over one narrow road coming up on your right. Be careful as the...
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LOCATION 15
Bristol High Cross
When Bristol was a walled medieval town, the Bristol High Cross was in the middle of the four roads that meet just ahead of you. This was the heart of Bristol.
Please cross over, and walk down ...
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LOCATION 16
The Corn Exchange and St Nicholas Market
You'll get to do some exploring on your own very soon, but for now, find somewhere with plenty of space to stand still for a few minutes, facing the building on your left which is called The Exchan...
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LOCATION 17
Broad Street
Carry on down this road all the way to the end.
As one of the four original main roads, this one still has plenty of impressive buildings. I'll point them out as we go.
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LOCATION 18
Old City
On your right hand side is Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. Opened in 1869, it's grade 2 listed.
On your left, the building with pillars and metal railings is a former Bank of England branch, built...
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LOCATION 19
Belgian Beer
On your left is The Strawberry Thief, a lovely Belgian beer bar offering table service. They also always have some local beer on tap.
Stop outside it, please.
My favourite building on Broad...
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LOCATION 20
St John's Gate
Before you pass through St John's gate, look around you at the ever changing street art. Don't forget to look behind you.
When you're ready, you can walk through it.
*pause 5 seconds*
Th...
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LOCATION 21
See No Evil street art festival
Once you've crossed the road, turn around and look up at the buildings around you.
In 2012 there was a street art festival, See No Evil, held here. Famous artist Inkie helped to gather 40 arti...
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LOCATION 22
Hotel Du Vin
When you reach the main road, use the pedestrian crossings to get to the other side.
This road was once a part of the river Frome which now runs underneath a lot of the city centre. There was a ...
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LOCATION 23
Christmas Steps
Stop at the bottom of the steps on your right.
Being so close to the water, this area would have housed many a pub and brothel.
Now just the one pub remains. It's now named The Christmas St...
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LOCATION 24
Host Street
Keep walking along this road until you get to the end and reach the main road ahead. The name of the road was Colston Street at the time this tour was created.
Edward Colston was a wealthy merc...
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LOCATION 25
The Former Colston Hall
Turn left on to whatever this street is now called.
Coming up on your right is Bristol's largest concert hall, which is over 150 years old. For that long, it held the name, Colston Hall. They r...
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LOCATION 26
Bambalan
On your left there are narrow steps up to Bambalan. If it's a sunny day then feel free to see if you can grab a seat on their huge roof terrace for a drink or bite to eat. They also accept bookings...
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LOCATION 27
Frogmore Street
Turn left onto Frogmore Street, staying on this same side of the road.
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LOCATION 28
Cross Over
Cross over the road ahead of you and carry on straight, through the car park. This is often used by tour buses of bands playing at the former Colston Hall or the o2 Academy venue opposite here.
...
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LOCATION 29
The Hatchet Inn - Bristol's Oldest pub
This pub on your right, The Hatchet Inn, is said to be Bristol's oldest pub. Stand opposite the pub entrance a moment.
Dating back to 1606, the pub has been used for all sorts, from blood sport...
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LOCATION 30
Street art by JPS
On the wall of The Queens Shilling, to your right, you can see a piece of street art. Walk over there to take a closer look.
‘Spartacus’ is by Weston-super-Mare’s JPS. He takes his inspiration f...
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LOCATION 31
"Well Hung Lover" by Banksy
Stop just before the bridge, with the steps on your right-hand side. Look up high on the wall to your left.
This is Banksy’s ‘Well Hung Lover’ - In 2006 Banksy created this piece on the side of ...
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LOCATION 32
Roundabout
Take a left at the mini roundabout, heading up the slight hill.
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LOCATION 33
City Hall
The building on your left is City Hall, the home of Bristol City Council. You'll see it from it's more attractive side from the park soon. It has a nice curved shape and water feature at the front ...
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LOCATION 34
Central Library
Directly ahead of you is the city's main library, built just over 100 years ago.
At the end of the road, cross over so that you're in front of the library and walk right, down Deanery Road.
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LOCATION 35
“You don’t need planning permission to build castles in the sky” by Banksy
Immediately after the library you’ll see some steps on your left going down. Stop here to see Banksy's “You don’t need planning permission to build castles in the sky”.
You can see this stencill...
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LOCATION 36
Bristol Cathedral
Keep walking straight, past the front of the cathedral.
Originally here was Augustine's Abbey, founded in 1140.
The beautiful gatehouse to your right is the most vivid remains of the Abbey....
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LOCATION 37
College Green
Keep going straight.
This green space is called College Green.
(5 second pause)
As you have already heard, Bristol loves a good old protest, and this is very often the meeting point. Thi...
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LOCATION 38
Pedestrian Crossing
Continue down the hill.
(five second pause)
You'll see a double pedestrian crossing in front of you. Use that to safely cross the road.
(five second pause)
Once across, follow the pavem...
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LOCATION 39
Harbourside Street Food Market
As you reach the end of the railings, use the pedestrian crossing to your right to reach the large pedestrianised area.
Depending on the time, there may be lots of local food stalls here. There...
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LOCATION 40
Bristol's Historic Docks
The steps to your right that lead down to the water and ferry stop are called Cascade Steps. Occasionally a stage is set up for live music at the bottom and they stop the water so that people can s...
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LOCATION 41
Cross Over
When you reach the other side of the crossing, turn right.
Follow the pavement all the way along to the end.
We're not far off the end of the tour now. If you pass somewhere you like the lo...
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LOCATION 42
Marsh St
To your left, there's another pedestrian crossing.
Cross over here and keep going, heading for the pink building in front of you, with the patch of grass to it's right.
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LOCATION 43
Merchants Almshouse
The pink building coming up, now apartments, was built as almshouses for sick and elderly sailors in 1696. The coat of arms is of the Merchant Venturers Society. Many of those sailors would have wo...
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LOCATION 44
King Street - Craft Beer Street
Named after Charles II, King Street was marshland, just south of the town wall before they developed it in the 1600s. It's now a beer lovers paradise!
Walk down this street a little until you re...
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LOCATION 45
Bristol Old Vic
On your right, there's the Beer Emporium. This underground cellar bar was originally used by Bristol’s oldest wine merchant to store wine. Again, a place for beer lovers and is really worth a snoop...
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LOCATION 46
The Llandoger Trow
Stop just before you reach the part where a tarmac road crosses these cobbles.
Coming up on your right is the Llandoger Trow. Built as merchants houses in 1644, it used to be bigger but not all...
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LOCATION 47
Burgers and cider
Stop when you reach the end of the street, there are two boats that I want to show you. The one on the left is Three Brothers Burgers. Not only does this place offer a decent burger, but it also ha...