An old church might seem like an odd place to have a climbing wall but it actually works…read moresurprisingly well. The high walls are perfect, with climbs in excess of thirty feet. The view when you get to the top is amazing as well; you literally get a totally different perspective on the building. Plus, it doesn't have that hot sweaty feeling that some climbing walls have - all the space means you can breathe a little better. All the space means the sound gets soaked up a bit too - sometimes gyms can sound like factories with all the machines going, but this place certainly doesn't. Usually the only sounds that will interrupt your thoughts are the echoes of whatever the receptionist has decided to put on the sound system. As well as conventional climbing walls there's a large bouldering area, with soft crash mats that have caught my body on the many occasions that my fingers have decided to give out. The atmosphere's great though, and nobody judges you if your new or just a bit crap like me. If you do want to improve they have excellent instructors on hand, who are very patient (they get a lot of school groups in here so they have plenty of practice. Bristol Climbing Centre is unique, a great place to learn to climb, and a wonderful environment to do it in.

it just never ceases to amaze me the wealth of exiting and slightly unusual things to do in and…read morearound Bristol. Set within an old church, god knows how much effort must have been put in to convert the building to a climbing centre, the South West's biggest Climbing centre - if you didn't know! There are all sorts of levels of walls and sessions available to accommodate for the real beginner (which is where I was) and the more experiences climber. 12 meters doesn't sound very high until you get half way up it and feel like you might be able to reach the clouds with your next step up! They run things like Easter courses so great for kids but also for adults.

I used to use this fairly regularly when I worked in Bath and the odd soaking aside, it was a…read morepretty decent way to travel to work. That and the fact that the first half is almost horseshoe shaped, which adds a couple of extra miles to your journey, though this shouldn't matter too much if you're cycling for fun. The payoff for taking a slightly meandering route is that it's pretty much flat for the whole journey, which means most people, even those who aren't particularly fit, shouldn't find it too challenging. There's also plenty to see on the way besides the greenery, with the particular highlight being when you pass the Avon Valley Railway before encountering a couple of very nice looking pubs. And the best bit is you're almost at Bath by this point, so you can always nip in for a few pints and catch a train back. One point: the Lawrence Hill end has gotten a bit of a reputation for being patrolled by muggers who target cyclists. I never encountered any problems bar the odd water bomb thrown from a bridge, but you may wish to bear this in mind.

The route (if you choose to walk all of it! make sure it's good weather) is a 13 mile off road…read moreroute between the cities of Bristol and Bath. The path is easily accessable for walkers and cyclists and access is provided for disabled users. The journey of the path could either be on some people commuting route, it could be a short cut, it's a widlife spotting point for some enthusiasts, or if your like me, it could just provide a nice little walk, to get some fresh air. The website is very helpful for providing history behind the path and what you can hope to see on your travels, and of course maps! Because everyone loves a good map!

I reckon the City of Bristol is defined by its rivers (that's right, I found out from a guide on…read moreour boat tour, that there is actually a hidden river that flows underneath the city, called Frome). And the Avon cuts around the city center and creates all these bends and quirks in the landscape, as well as bringing an enormous sense of flow, energy and vibrancy to the City. I massively enjoyed doing a bit of the Avon river walk and would thoroughly recommend heading down to the M shed on a weekend, to get on their River Avon Tugboat ride for £6 per person for 30 mins- it's especially glorious being out on the river on a sunny day. Loved being able to encounter one of the Locks on the river so up-close and personal, and was excited to see there is actually a ferry that runs from Bristol to Bath in the summer months, and so something I might try and do on my next visit. Massive tip o' the hat to Yelper Laura W whose review I highly recommend reading for why the River is called "Avon" - I totally was unaware of that historical nugget and it really make me chuckle to find out about its origins. I had also really liked Yelper Sam G's photos of the Avon river over the suspension bridge walk, but wasnt able to get that view over the Gorge on this visit, so something I will endevour to get to on my next visit here. So lots to see and do on the River Avon in Bristol! Yelp 154/ 2019

The Mighty Avon It…read morecuts right through the heart of Bristol. As some of you might know Bristol used to be a part of the county of Avon which existed between 1974 - 1996. Some people think it still does exist and letters and address' still have Avon listed on them. Anyway the fact that the river avon flows through the city is probably soemthing to do with why the county of Avon was called... well ... Avon! A riverside walk on a sunny day comes highly recommended. If you start out in the City centre, round Bristol Bridge, or futher along towards the Arnolfini then make you way towards the suspension bridge (will probably take around 40 minutes) I can garantee a beautiful walk. There are also some great river side bars and resteraunts to stop off at on the way, when you get to the suspesion bridge walk over it to have the best views of the river and the Avon Gorge.

This is a perfect place to take young family members who like to run around and make noise!…read more I recently took a young niece here, and she absolutely loved it - an added bonus was that she was so tired out by the end of it her mum said she slept like a log! I remember going to something like this when I was really young too, it offers a ideal mix between being able to see and touch animals like rabbits and pigs, to an adventure playground with those big slides that probably aren't so big when your a grown up but are huge when your little that you sort of drop off almost vertically, with your bum hardly touching the slide! There's also a nature trail. The park is great in nice weather, not so good in the rain but there are still inside things to do. It is also quite reasonable priced - £7.00 adult and £6.50 child, check their website for special offers.

This is a large, leafy recreational area covering 50 acres just outside Bristol with an animal…read morefarm, riverside walks, playgrounds and picnic areas. With stacks to entertain children, it's also a pleasant space for adults, and even when it's sunny and busy there seems to be plenty of space for everyone. For kids, the play arena has trampolines, slides, rope climbing structures and go karts, plus mini golf and the Strawberry Line miniature train. The six or so shire horses kept at the park are a big attraction, and there are lots of smaller animals to see, and even handle (under supervision). The park has falconry displays at the weekends (and during school holidays), plus a nature trail along the river (with a junior assault course running parallel to it). Adults cost £7.50, children (and OAPs) £7, and little ones under 2 go free. The park's open every day from April - end of October, then the indoor play barn is open on weekends and school holidays.

Cool space. If more people used this it would be an excellent networking spot…read more But it's also a nice chilled spot where you can get some advice for your bike, or get it repaired if needed!

Horrific branch and company overall. Manager of this branch is absolutely heartless. Would give…read moreminus stars but unfortunately that isn't possible, Google's too kind. Whilst a member here I became partially paralysed from the waist down, suffered a complete heart block and a stint in high care for pneumonia. I froze my membership but apparently it didn't go through - I didn't use my membership throughout this time so was evident that I certainly believe it was frozen. Manager of the branch denied my mere £30 back despite medical evidence right in front of him and the evidence from their systems that I didn't once attend the gym in that time. They are clearly desperate for the money to deny £30 back to a now disabled 18 year old. Tomorrow is never promised, and nor is it promised that you won't end up seriously ill tomorrow. Avoid, because if anything happens to you whilst you're a member that means you seriously cannot attend, you won't be getting any money back. Me and my boyfriend have both ended our memberships now and will never be returning.

The Gym is based bang opposite McDonald's, so if you're on one of the treadmills it feels like…read moreyou're running towards it - which, I suppose, could be good motivation for some! The Gym is cheap and cheerful, well, maybe not cheerful, but it is cheap! £16 a month gives you: new cardio machines, new weight machines, free weights and 3 free classes a day. They constantly have at least one cleaner cleaning the machines, floors and changing rooms. The place is very clean and changing rooms are just fine. But you will need to bring your own lock for the lockers. As with any gym it does get busy at peak times: 12-2 and 5-7.30. But it isn't any worse than other gyms I've been too. The free classes are OK, but they take place on the top floor in a cordoned off area. They aren't in their own room. £16 well spent in my eyes!

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.

After a long period of injury from playing sport I received physiotherapy and rehabilitation…read moretreatment at the gym. Ed has been my personal trainer for 2 years and during that time I have lost a considerable amount of weight, but most importantly I've gone down 2 dress sizes and my shape has changed considerably. It's taken until recently for me to manage my eating habits due to working shifts but thanks to Ed's persistence I am seeing the results now. Its not been easy and my muscles can vouch for that, but without the pain and the aching muscles you wont see any results. Absolute Health is a small and intimate gym which caters for the shy and reserved person. Its easy on my pocket because I can choose when to attend the gym for my personal training programme. Ed's is very flexible and understanding as well as task master who ensures you get the results on a one to one. I wont be going anywhere in a hurry Absolute Health is the gym for me!!!

Unlike most gyms ,the staff here as keen to see you reach your goals as much as you are…read more I have been training here for just over 6 months and have learnt so much information from Ed and Aaron regarding training and nutrition, it has completely changed my way of thinking. No more 1-1.5 hrs at the gym, 30 mins and I done and looking better than ever.

This is a beautiful little park. Ideal if you are a runner as there is a circular path going around…read morethe whole park, with various different off-shoots if you fancy a change of scenery. The path's are wide as well so there is plenty of room for a group of runners to be running one way and a couple walking their dog going the other way and still space inbetween for a baby in a pram! The park is almost a perfect dome, if you sit at the top you have a pretty good view of the whole surrounding area. There's a childrens play park and some football goals to cater for all. I'm hoping to make the most of parks like this as the summer time begins to invade Bristol!

This park is one that I come to when I want to be surrounded by green. Yes, I hear you, most other…read moreparks are green, but this one really is quite big, that you feel enveloped in all its trees and hills. There are paths running through the whole park, which is ideal for joggers, runners and cyclists. There is also a basketball court at the bottom of the park, along with slides, swings and other playground type things. There is often some art exhibition going on - a few months back there was a large sculpture made out of metal and looked like a prehistoric anthropod just sitting around the middle of the park, which was a fascinating addition. It is now gone though, but not long before there will some other exhibit appearing I'm sure! The people who live around this park are lucky, as I would love to be so close to a park this lovely.