Bristol is a city with its own vibrant culture, colour, and identity. It has contributed significantly to the rich history of Britain, once acting as a crucial base during the discovery of Europe and the trade organisations with North America.
The city has historically made a huge contribution to both arts and architecture. As an explorer, this article will help you get meaningful information about touring destinations. If you feel like learning new languages, understanding people’s culture, and discovering new sites, this city will bring out the explorer in you.
This post will give you more insights into some of the important things you need to know about Bristol City to help you learn new things about the city. Some of these facts might end up shocking you.
1. Art scenes
Yes for the longest time, Bristol has been the favourite spot for art lovers. Various galleries around the place offer a scene that is worth watching and giving out the relaxing state of Zen. Besides, Bristol has taken an award from UNESCO and film status for being the city of cultural cinema inclusive of a world-class education.
2. Shipbuilding
Throughout the city’s history, the building of ships has been a part of their livelihood. As early as the 1800s, its port began the review of shipbuilding. For the first 16 years, they were at war and the trade in the region was at a loss. Due to this, the West India trade was vital for the survival of the city.
The west Indian ships were then two deckers and three-deckers with a snow rig. From the time in 1813, the process of building the first steam vessel started. It was an excitement for many people to have a steam vessel at sea. However, the following year they came up with The Charlotte and Hope that was a breakthrough in the shipping industry.
3. Slave trade
The location of Bristol harbour made it ideal in shaping trade, both in Britain and in the Americas. The participation of the city in this type of trade stretches back to the eleventh century. Previously, Bristol had direct contact with West Indies. It was long before the slave trade becomes a major activity.
Due to the rise of sugar cultivation in the Caribbean and tobacco in Virginia and Maryland, there was increased demand for enslaved Africans. Although the trade proved risky, it highly profited Bristol since it was an international port since medieval times.
Recently, Bristol has once again made it back to the headlines. Despite the efforts of maintaining their history, they brought down statues of the famous slave trader Edward Colston for the support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
4. The walking distance
The one thing that many people love about the city is that it is easy to get around. Anything that you would think of and need is within reach. The interesting fact about this is that the city has a great architectural history. It allows people to go through the walled city walk, discovering new spots on foot. Lastly, the city holds walking festivals.
5. First woman Doctor
Bristol is the birthplace of the first woman doctor by the name Elizabeth Backwell. At the start of her career, she faced rejection by twenty-nine medical schools. Her interests seemed like a joke to many. Although in due course, she began her career in medicine in the United States of America.
6. Clifton suspension bridge
The design of the bridge is from one of the collections of a famous engineer known as Isambard Brunel. The bridge is one of the greatest structures in the industrial revolution as it has made public transport an easy task. Despite the revolutionary features of the bridge, its location in the city has been prominent to the visitors as it has a spectacular view of the beautiful city.
7. Bansky
A famous child in the city of Bristol took the art scene with a bang. Just with spray paint, he got involved in the making of spectacular street art. Several works done by Bansky are very eye-catching and the most prominent of paintings are the girl with a pearl earring found at Hanover place and the mild mild west found at Jamaica Street.
8. Darth Vader
Yes, you heard that right. Bristol has given us the world’s best bad guy. David Prowse used to play physical characters and also he was a bodybuilder. The director of the movie wanted someone with a much deeper voice who could take every scene by storm.
9. Friendly faces
The residents in Bristol make friends easily and make you feel right at home. In most of the surveys done, it is evident that people in Bristol are kind and accommodating. Most of them do voluntary work at social-economic organisations.
10. Nature
The city is blessed with an abundance of nature. Most of the nature reserves like chew valley offer the opportunity for people who like hiking spotting wildlife and also fishing.