Bristol's harbourside site

Yes, we managed to get booked on to the Baltic Wharf site in Bristol! It is unbelievably popular and always seems to be booked up throughout the year. We knew we needed to be in Bristol for the 21st September and wanted to tag on a few extra days to explore the area so tried to book well in advance. Even months beforehand the site was booked up. We kept checking the website and managed to book for one night (Monday 19th). It was then just a waiting game; we were put on a waiting list and luckily a week later managed to get the extra couple of nights we wanted.

I can see why the site is popular; it is ideally located to spend time in Bristol, a busy, happening city with so much to do and it's all just through a gateway. From the site, it's a 20 minute walk along the river into the centre of Bristol although it'll take longer if you stop to admire the boats and pop in to some of the museums along the banks. There is also the option to catch the ferry which runs regularly from a stop not far from the site - a great opportunity to see the city from the water. 

 

Bristol's links with the sea are everywhere and you don't have to go far to encounter some of its marine history. The SS Great Britain, a Brunel creation that is said to be one of 'the most important historic ships in the world', and a museum dedicated to its history is a short walk away. The boat, fully restored, sits on a glass sea. Visitors can find out the history of the SS Great Britain by walking through the Dockyard museum and climb on board the ship to experience what life would have been like onboard.

 

Further along the river is The Matthew - a replica of the 15th century boat that John Cabot sailed from Bristol to New Foundland in 1497. Today it is used for public trips, film events and celebrations but if moored at the quayside is free to explore. We hopped on board and had a look around the beautifully varnished wooden boat and spoke to some of the crew about life on board.

 

As you get nearer to the centre of Bristol, there is the M Shed, a museum about life in Bristol. It's free to enter and has a room full of a range of artefacts from buses to an anderson shelter. You can easily while away the hours reading all of the information about different periods of history and famous people associated with Bristol, such as Brunel, who built the iconic bridge that crosses the Avon.

 

@Bristol is another museum that came highly recommended to us. Never one to miss out on an educational opportunity we dedicated a day to the museum and had a wonderful day. It is located on the other side of the river, next door to the Aquarium, and is easily within walking distance. The museum has hundreds of hands-on exhibits over two floors, that cover a range of subjects. Most of the exhibits are interactive and totally engaging. We spent a good few hours exploring the ground floor, attending a couple of the live workshops and trying out the activity stations, such as making parachutes. The second has more scientific exhibits as well as an area dedicated to animation and space. Children can draw and animate their own miniature films in the style of Bristol-based Aardman studios. A planetarium is also located on the second floor and shows films at various times throughout the day. A day is not enough and I can see why people return to @Bristol on other occasions.

 

Clifton suspension bridge is the iconic bridge that spans the river Avon and overlooks Bristol; it is visible not far from the site and you could possibly walk there. This was our plan but unfortunately we ran out of time and will have to leave it for a return trip. The bridge, which joins Bristol with North Somerset, is an impressive site. You can get a spectacular view of the bridge from Observatory Hill in Clifton. In the same location you can visit the Camera Obscura and Giant's Cave for a small fee. There is a visitor centre, at Leigh Woods, that is free and has an exhibition about the history of the bridge. Tours of the bridge run at the weekend and on Bank holidays between Easter and October. Although we weren't able to visit the bridge, we did some research and were surprised to learn that Brunel won a competition to design the bridge and it was his first commission - an amazing legacy. We will definitely return to pay the bridge a visit.