Cabot Tower is a tower in Bristol, England, situated in a public park on Brandon Hill, between the…read morecity centre, Clifton and Hotwells. It is a grade II listed building. The tower was built in the 1890s to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the journey of John Cabot from Bristol to land which later became Canada. It makes for a pleasant walk through the park, although a steep climb if you go to the top.. Lovely views of Bristol once you are there.

When I asked where we were going, I was told to see the Folly. Who doesn't love a good folly? Turns…read moreout my friend was talking about Cabot Tower. The park surrounding the tower is lovely, even a dreary November day. The tower allows great views of the city. The only problem is getting up and down on a busy Sunday. The steps are narrow and I may have slipped and thought I was going to die. Definitely worth a tour around and hopefully you won't have to pass folks on the stairs as you go up and down.

The big yellow mansion you can see from the M32 is Dower House - built in 1553 by Sir Richard…read moreBerkeley and used subsequently as Pur Down Hospital and the Burden Neurological Institute. Closed in 1985 and converted into luxury flats (think just under a grand a month for a one bedroom). The house overlooks Stoke Park which connects freely to Pur Down fields and woods. You can get here off Broomhill Road - so if you are walking or cycling in Snuff Mills just go up the busy road until you get to the mini roundabout at the top and you will see a big pair of fancy black iron gates. Pedestrian access is to the right and a nice wide path leads you all the way up. There is a fishing lake at the bottom here which is very popular.

Gloucester Road is my favourite street in Bristol, particularly because I include Stokes Croft and…read moreCheltenham Road in with it as well - one road leads into the next, so I figure what the hell. Reputed to be the home of the longest stretch of independent shops in Europe, this two mile plus road offers an awful lot to so very many. It's cosmopolitan and it's cool, riddled with graffiti and just a little bit decadent. It harbours the vast majority of Bristol's most creatively active individuals and groups. It's not as grand as some of the more famous shopping streets in Bristol, but what it lacks in notoriety it makes up for in liveliness and heart. This is where the passionate people and free-thinkers like to hang out. There's plenty of cafes to visit during the day and some great pubs and music venues to frequent at night. The quality of what is on offer is usually pretty high. I'd trade ten Whiteladies Roads for one Gloucester Road, and if they attempt to gentrify Stokes Croft, I might just have to leave town.

This very long, wiggly, busy street in North Bristol is one of the most interesting and most useful…read moreshopping districts in the city. If you're visiting Bristol and wondering where the best shops are, it's worth setting aside a day or afternoon to tackle this whole street, because it's a seemingly endless stretch of great clothes shops, cafes, charity shops, bars, organic foodshops, and everything else in between. Of course, if you're lucky enough to be a local, you'll gradually use each and every shop along Gloucester Road just by virtue of having it on your doorstep. That's what I mean by it being a useful shopping district: it's not just market-style shopping that you can do here; it's also "ordinary" high street shopping, because there's a Post Office, a Boots, a Somerfield, a Tesco, and several pound shops. It's not stuck up, Gloucester Road, and manages to accommodate the more arty, vintage and organic shops as well as providing the basics. Shop highlights for me from Gloucester Road are The Breadstore (and you can probably guess what they sell there), the large second hand bookshop Books For Amnesty, Shanti Fabrics, which sells all sorts of lovely ethnic throws and cushion covers, and Scoopaway, where you can happily lose an hour just deciding which of the lovely dried fruits, seeds and nuts you want to scoop up and take home. As for somewhere to relax, drink or eat, you have umpteen options on this road. My recommendations are, for Spanish roadside bar-style refreshments, Cafe Delight, and for upmarket stylish gastro-pub fare, Robin Hood's Retreat. Good for drinking: the Price of Wales pub. One niggle about Gloucester Road: trying to get across it is infuriating, and quite dangerous, as there just aren't enough pedestrian crossings and the road is wiggly so cars tend to fly around corners just as you start crossing. Best avoid crossing altogether by going all the way up one side of the road seeing all the shops there, then going all the way back down the other!

Worth a visit if you are in the area. The suspension bridge is quite majestic especially if you see…read moreit from the woods there. You can also travel across it by car for one pound, aswell as walk across it. The area around is located In Clifton which has beautiful houses and parks and walks around. There is an observation tower which also offers great views aswell as a cafe..

It's a must visit if you're in Bristol ,the area is so beautiful,the views is gorgeousread more

This is art! This is one of my favourite Banksys!…read more It looks really real and I think, that people, who dontt know, that it is a grafitty, can think in the darkness, that is real...

Great street piece by Banksy, located on Upper Maudlin Street (opposite a Childrens Hospital) in…read moreBristol & worthy of seeking out when living or visiting Bristol if you have an interest in either of Banksy's work or street art generally. Someone has since painted in something different in the boy's hand & I think wire has been added by the owners to protect it a bit, but otherwise it's still looking pretty decent, probably because it's in a more awkward spot to get to, located above a rooftoop.

St Vincent's Cave / Giant's Cave nr Clifton Observatory…read more Not something for those who are claustrophobic or fear heights - but that is of course also its charm - this is a great exploration to add on to your Clifton Down walk one day. William West (artist 1800s) built a tunnel (2000 feet long) from the Observatory to St Vincent's cave (historians claim it was both a chapel dating back to around 350 AD and place of refuge). Steeped in history, you will find your decent a sharp one as you hunch over to get through the rugged limestone passageway. The reward comes as the path opens to a 'balcony' carved out of the cliff with views of the Avon Gorge 250 feet below (and if you twist your neck the cliff top 90 feet above). It feels rustic, pure and of a bygone era and then you are transported back to reality as you climb back to the surface.

Beneath the Clifton Observatory, near the Suspension Bridge, a tunnel snakes down through the…read morelimestone to St Vincent's Cave, in the side of the Avon Gorge. From here, there are stunning views towards Leigh Woods and the Bridge, and 240 feet down to the River Avon and the road that runs alongside it. A platform with a chest-high modern railing allows you to walk out above thin air and see the floor of the Gorge through a grid beneath your feet. The gnarled cave opening was used as a chapel by the Romans in the 4th Century, and since that time has served both as a shrine and a place of refuge. Limited information is available in the Observatory. Entrance is 1 pound, and it is open every weekend during the day. Some tight turns and steep steps mean that the climb is not suitable for everyone.

If you're in town and you want somewhere pleasant to get away from Broadmead, this is the spot for…read moreyou. Indeed, the thing I most associate this place with is grabbing a lunch time bite with some colleagues when I worked nearby. Due to its location it's not exactly a communal spot, and the layout, with lots of hills, flowerbeds and trees, means that unlike College Green, frisbee and footie games are unlikely to break out. It's a pleasant place though and big enough for you to grab a spot of your own, possibly with a view of the river.

Castle Park, a great place to escape from the hustle and bussle of broadmead. I found this delight…read moreafter getting bogged down in the christmas shopping mayhem, I was after a slice of tranquility then... bam! ... I arrived in castle park, the snow had settled and all was peaceful. Soon my eye was caught by a monuement standing out on the carpet of green and white (from the snow!), there stood this beautiful old derilict church, around the back of the church my eye was caught with a row of trees side by side, leading me down to a fountain at the end. I was sold, took a couple of snaps (see 'Snow hit' photo I uploaded) and Voilá!, my grandparents christmas present had been solved with a few clicks of my camera! Perfect in summer or winter, with the river so close on one side and shops on the other, it's like a link between relaxation and retail therapy.

One of the principal features of Castle Park, in the centre of Bristol, are the remains of St…read morePeter's church. Originally built alongside the castle and founded in the late 11th century by the castle's owner, Robert Fitzhamon, the only parts of the church remaining from this period are the lower stages of the tower. It was rebuilt and enlarged in the 13th-15th centuries, and elements of Early English and Perpendicular gothic architecture form the bulk of the present structure. The church only just survived the English Civil War: in 1643, the Roundhead Governor of Bristol Castle, Colonel Nathaniel Fiennes is said to have ordered the demolition of both the nearby St Peter's and St Philip's churches to prevent the beseiging Cavaliers from taking up positions in them. It is claimed that only the arrival of Prince Rupert with an army of 20,000 Royalist soldiers prevented this. However, having survived a 17th-Century conflict, the church was not so fortunate during the 20th. Together with much of Bristol's mediaeval centre, St Peter's was destroyed in an air-raid on November 24th, 1940, which left 400 casualties. It was decided after the War not to rebuild this part of the city, but instead to turn it into a park. The remains of St Peter's were retained as a war memorial, and the surrounding area landscaped with gardens. To-day, it has a slight air of neglect, and could do with some further restoration.

Millenium Square is quite a stunning open space in the city center. It is always filled with kids…read moreplaying around in the shiny silvery water features, flatland BMXers practicing their tricks in the middle of the square, or just people sitting around the benches and steps, having a good relax. This square plays host to a variety of things, such as a Sunday art market and numerous festivals when summer rolls by. There is a computery device on one of the square that provides some minutes of fun, where it points to any planet you type in, and tells you how many kilometers it is away from the earth. Interesting, but I think it gets abused by the drunk masses on a Friday and Saturday night. In the floor of the square is an analemma - lights that show the path of the sun as viewed from the earth. On the benches at another end of the square, are brass statues of historical figures, one of which I know is William Tyndale translating the New Testament. All these little quirks of Millenium Square give it its soul, despite it being just a big, flat, bare open space. Thumbs up!

A fabulous public open space. A great big screen for the sports-inclined and fountains and pools…read morefor the little ones. It may have been mid-March, but my little cousin adored the water. He splashed about with his dad for ages. Surrounded by lovely restaurants and lots of museums, etc. (@Bristol). Great for young and old alike.

Bristol University's music department is a prominent feature at the top of the triangle on Queens…read moreStreet. The grandeur of the building is put to use for other purposes - concerts, open-days, graduation ceremonies, and ball venues. The epitome of Bristol's wealth and propriety, this changes when student celebrations are in full-swing. A common sight is of students jumping into the fountains at the front of the steps, splashing around in the water and even being so rebellious as to pour washing-up liquid into the water. There are lots of rooms of various sizes and this makes it a perfect venue for almost any occasion. The building is mainly host to concerts and recitals, but I had my end of first year prom here. A large but cosy dining room for dinner, a room fit for dancing and a two smaller, connecting-rooms to hold a casino night.

Bristol University's music department is housed in this stunning Victorian building at the top of…read morepark street, where the route splits between Clifton and Whiteladies Road. With the fountains and sculptures adorning its front facade, it is an imposing building to add to a list of impressive architecture in Bristol. Inside, there are two large recital rooms that serve as the concert hall for both the students who study here and a range of independent music performances, from classical superstars to the local Bristol Schools Orchestra. There's also a wide variety of teaching rooms. The university only turned this into the music department in 1996, but the building was purpose built in 1842 for the use of music. There are tours available through the University, or alternatively just buy a ticket to one of the concerts, but the Victoria Rooms is a Bristol asset that is definitely worth appreciating.