PUB WALKS developed by CAMRA and Ramblers

Transcription

1 PUB WALKS developed by CAMRA and Ramblers YHA Bristol A Tourist s View of the City Route developer: Philip Cheesewright Route checker: Ron Evans Start location: YHA Bristol, BS1 4QA Route Summary: A short route from the YHA which is designed to include most of Bristol's top tourist attractions and in between showcases some of the more interesting buildings to be seen. Getting there By train: To Bristol Temple Meads station. The walk from the station is interesting in itself. Go down the station drive then cross Temple Gate at the pedestrian crossing. Go right - past the frontage of Brunel's first station - and continue across Redcliffe Mead Lane and along Redcliffe Way until you reach the roundabout at St Mary Redcliffe church. Follow round to the left and cross Redcliff Hill by the zebra crossing. Go left a few metres then right up Redcliffe Parade East. Opposite numbers 10 and 11 there is a ramp leading down to the quayside. Go left to find the the Ostrich Pub. You cannot miss it, the pub is in a huge and imposing white building by the wharf side. Outside, it has a large number of trestle tables outside for summer days and evenings. Inside the pub, it has two

2 seating areas on either side of the wooden floored bar area. The pub also serves fantastic food. Children are welcome, and they may enjoy exploring the small chamber hewn out of the sandstone on the pub's ground floor which may have been used to store contraband, however beware the skeleton! This pub serves three regular beers Brains seasonal ale, Brains Bitter, Brains Rev James and one changing beer. Upon leaving the pub cross over the footbridge. Go right along the quay to the Prince Street swing bridge. Cross the bridge then go immediately left past the Arnolfini Art Centre then right again to the YHA. Alternatively you can take the ferry. From the station ticket barrier go straight on signed Temple Quay. Leave the station and keep on along a walkway, aiming for the steel pillar of a modern bridge ahead. The quay is to the right of this bridge. Buy a ticket for The Arnolfini. By bus: To Bristol Bus Station. Leave from the Whitson Street entrance - NOT the one onto the dual carriageway Marlborough Street. Go left down to Lower Maudlin Street then cross over and go left again to the main road junction. Follow round to the right into Lewins Mead and keep on for 700 metres under the footbridge and on down Colston Avenue, which opens out into a large paved area on the left. Cross Colston Street then the smaller Denmark Street, then as the road veers right into Anchor Road cross over onto the central paved area to reach the dock. Go right with the dock on your right onto Narrow Quay and continue to the footbridge (Pero's Bridge). THe YHA is just past this on the left. It's almost impossible to make sense of the local bus information. If you wish to make use of these contact First Group. Description [1] On leaving the YHA go right on Narrow Quay then at Pero s Bridge go right along Farrs Lane. Cross Prince Street and keep on down the pedestrian way into Queen Square, a beautiful tree-filled Queen Anne Square. Go diagonally across the square. On your left as you leave the YHA is the Architecture Centre. Further on in the large stone warehouse building is the Arnolfini Arts Centre, which specialises in modern art exhibitions. Pero's Bridge is a lifting bridge with counterweights in the large horned structures. It is named after Pero, also known as Pero Jones, who lived from around 1753 to 1798, arriving in Bristol probably from the Caribbean Island of Nevis in 1783, as the slave of the merchant John Pinney ( ) at 5 Great George Street.

3 Queen Square was built in Queen Anne style and has a statue of William III in the centre. In 1937 the inner ring road was built through the middle of it, but this was removed in [2] Bear left onto Queen Charlotte Street then go first right here down Little King Street then left along the quayside (Welsh Back), past the Merchant Navy Memorial until you reach Baldwin Street. Cross over and go up the steps to the left of St Nicholas' church to reach St Nicholas's Market which is full of cafes and interesting stores. Turn right to leave onto High Street, cross over then go left back down to the river. The warehouse building is Wait and James' Granary, built in 1869 in 'Bristol Byzantine' style. It is now apartments. [3] Turn left along the riverside and go past the roofless St Peter's church, which was bombed in the second world war. At a path crossroads go left, signed 'Cabot Circle and Broadmead'. At the road (Newgate) go right then cross over at the lights into the Broadmead shopping centre. Castle Park (A) is the site of the old Bristol Castle. Some remains can be seen if you turn right just before Newgate and go up the approach to the footbridge. But don't attempt to use the footbridge, it's a waste of time. [4] Continue up Merchant Street to the round point then go left and shortly afterwards right into an arcade. At the far end of the arcade go left into the Horsefair. At the end cross over at the lights then go past a three-legged structure carrying a sail then cross to the right over the Haymarket to reach the gates of St James' Park. At the far end of the arcade, on the right is the entrance to Wesley's Chapel (B) The New Room, which is the oldest Methodist building in the world, was originally built by John Wesley shortly after his arrival in Bristol in The chapel that can be seen today is the extended building from 1748, which also includes preachers rooms upstairs. St James's Priory church (C) is billed as the oldest building in Bristol. St James Priory was founded between 1124 and 1137 by Robert, first Earl of Gloucester, who owned the castle at Bristol. To start with, there were 11 or 12 monks and a Prior, who lived under the rule of the Benedictine Abbey of Tewkesbury. On Merchant Street look out for cars coming out of the car park exit on the left. [5] Go left up Lower Maudlin Street, crossing Whitson Street by the White Hart pub. The White Hart a lovely old pub which was first licensed in The ornately decorated exterior belies a simple and welcoming bar and restaurant inside. This

4 pub serves three regular beers Greene King Abbot, Greene King IPA and Morland Old Speckled Hen. It also serves one changing beer. From the pub go to the top of the hill and then left into Upper Maudlin Street. Keep on for 200 metres then fork left down Colston Street which has some quaint shops and cafes. At the next junction cross to the right by the zebra crossing. Before you cross the zebra crossing, on your left are Christmas Steps, which played a part in the taking of Bristol during the Engish Civil War. Next to them is the remarkable building which was Foster's Almshouses (D). This was built in but was converted to apartments in Ahead, down Colston Street then right down Trenchard Street are the Colston Hall and O2 Academy, both music venues. [6] Go up Lower Park Row then left along Park Row. Cross Lodge Street and continue to reach the huge tower of the Wills Memorial Building. There are shops and cafes here. Take the next left turn into Berkeley Square, which is full of elegant Georgian terraced houses. As the square opens out go slightly left to steps through a gate and cross the grass to the opposite corner. At Lodge Street is the Red Lodge (E). Originally a lodge to the Great House (which once stood on the site of the present Colston Hall) the Red Lodge is often described as Bristol's hidden treasure and houses the Great Oak Room, one of the finest rooms in the West Country. There are seven rooms over two floors that tell the history of the house, from its Tudor origins to its role as a Victorian girls reform school. Entrance is free, but it's not open all the time. Opposite is the Bristol Synagogue. The Wills Memorial Building (F) is part of the University. Next to it is the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Next to that is a building in the form of a Venetian palace, which used to be the museum and is now a restaurant. Up the road adjacent (Queen's Road) there are some smart and not-so-smart shops. [7] Cross over and continue past the glass-fronted offices, to reach Brandon Hill Park. Take the path up the right-hand wall which winds up to the Cabot Tower. Then go to the left of the tower down steps. at the bottom go left on the path which goes downhill to reach Charlotte Street(on the left). Go right downhill then left into Great George Street. The Cabot Tower (G) was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's voyage to Canada in the 'Matthew'. It gives good views over the city. Charlotte Street has some elegant houses with cast-iron balconies.

5 If you don't want to visit the tower, take the left-hand path when you enter the park instead of the right-hand one. Then go first left down the steps. [8] Continue to the end of Great George Street then turn right down Park Street, which has a good view back up to the Wills Tower. Keep on over the bridge which crosses Frogmore Street to reach the Council House. On the left of Great George Street is St George's Church, and opposite it the Georgian House Museum (H), an 18th century, six storey townhouse. The house has been restored and decorated to its original glory, and is the perfect way to step back in time and imagine what life was like in this affluent area of the city hundreds of years ago. The slave Pero lived here. On the corner of Park Street is the ornate Cruger's House, now a jewellers and pawnbrokers. As you cross the bridge over Frogmore Street look left - there is a mural by Banksy painted on the wall opposite. [9] Turn right along the front of the Council House (College Green) then through the archway opposite. Go down through the school car park ahead then cross over Anchor Road. Go left past At- Bristol then right past the aquarium. Follow round left through Anchor Square to Pero's bridge and home. On your left as you pass through the arch is the Cathedral (I) and to your right is the library. At-Bristol (K), according to its publicity, is a state-of-the-art, interactive science centre, offering an amazing world of hands-on discovery for you, your friends and your family. The Aquarium (J) showcases native and tropical marine and freshwater creatures from around the world in naturally-themed habitats, all designed to inspire deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world. For more information about Pubs & Wellbeing please visit: For more information about local routes, please visit: