Bristol

About Bristol  

Bristol Coat of Arms
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, 105 miles west of London, and 44 miles east of Cardiff. It is England’s sixth, and the UK’s eighth most populous city and the most populous city in South West England. The city sits on the River Avon and the Severn Estuary leading into the Bristol Channel, the M4 and M5.

Bristol received a Royal Charter in 1155 and was granted county status in 1373.

Bristol has twinning or friendship agreements with the municipalities of Bordeaux in France, Hanover in Germany, Oporto in Portugal, Tbilisi in Georgia, Puerto Morazan in Nicaragua, Beira in Mozambique and Guangzhou in China to share international projects and development initiatives.

History

Cabot Circus

  • By the 14th century, Bristol was one of England’s three largest medieval towns after London.
  • Archaeological finds believed to be 60,000 years old provide “evidence of human activity” in the Bristol area from the Palaeolithic era. There are also Iron Age hill forts near the city as well as isolated Roman villas and small Roman forts and settlements throughout the area. The name is believed to come from Brycgstow meaning the place at the bridge.
  • Bristol has always been an important place due to its geographical situation, offering protection from invasion from Ireland and further afield and also the starting point for voyages. The city established a mint in the 11th century.
  • By the 12th century, Bristol was an important port, handling much of England’s trade with Ireland. Becoming a county in its own right in 1373, the period after saw Bristol as a centre of shipbuilding and manufacturing. Bristol was the starting point for many important voyages, notably John Cabot’s 1497 voyage of exploration to North America.
  • Renewed growth came with the 17th century rise of England’s American colonies and the rapid 18th century expansion of England’s part in the Atlantic trade in Africans taken for slavery in the Americas. During the height of the slave trade, from 1700 to 1807, more than 2,000 slaving ships were fitted out at Bristol, carrying a (conservatively) estimated half a million people from Africa to the Americas and slavery. Competition from Liverpool from 1760 onwards contributed to the city’s failure to keep pace with the newer manufacturing centres of the North of England and the West Midlands.
  • The 18th century saw Bristol’s importance extend as it was the here that Isambard Kingdom Brunel found fame designing the Clifton Suspension Bridge and then bringing the railway from London Paddington to Bristol. He also helped design the SS Great Britain which has been renovated and today, sits in dry dock in the old city harbour.
  • The University of Bristol was formed in 1909 and a second university, the University of West England (UWE) opened in 1992.
  • As the city grew the main port of Bristol became Portbury Docks on the Severn Estuary, this lead to the regeneration of the city docks to a heritage and culture centre.
  • Bristol suffered heavily in World War II with the subsequent rebuilding of several tower blocks, some of these have since been demolished. Brisol city centre has seen further redevelopment with the pedestrianisation of central roads, renovation of the Broadmead shopping area to extend into Cabots Circus (opened 2008).

Facts

  • Population – 421,300 (2008)
  • Governing Authority – Bristol City Council
  • Regional Planning Body – South West Strategic Leaders’ Board
  • Major Industries – Aeronautics; Tourism; Media; IT; Financial Services
  • Post Town – BRISTOL
  • Postcode – BS
  • Dialling Code – 0117
  • Police – Avon and Somerset Constabulary
  • Fire – Avon Fire and Rescue Service
  • Ambulance – Great Western Ambulance Service
  • Championship Football – Bristol City FC
  • Football League One – Bristol Rovers FC
  • Guinness Premiership Rugby – Bristol RFC

Discover Bristol – useful links to city guides, what’s on and places to see

SS Great Britain

SS Great Britain

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