Local Information
Bristol is a vibrant historic English port city located 120 miles west of London, internationally renowned as the centre of a diverse set of industries from animation to aerospace. It is also famous for its architecture, cultural activities, green spaces, and its world-leading university.
It hosts a cluster of creative industries, is a UNESCO City of Film and the home of many well-known artists and organizations such as Banksy, the BBC Natural History Unit and Aardman Animations. It is known as the Green Hollywood, based on its reputation for natural history film-making. Bristol was European Green Capital in 2015. It is a place which inspires creativity, and is one of the most attractive places (Sunday Times) to work and live in the UK.
Quick Links
- The City of Bristol Guide – From the University of Bristol
- Visit Bristol Tourist Guide
- Lonely Planet Bristol
- National Geographic – Cool City List
Tourist Attractions
SS Great Britain
The SS Great Britain was built and designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843. She is recognised as one of the most historically important ships in the world being the first large ocean going ship to be built of iron and equipped with a screw propeller. Famously restored in the 1970s, having been submerged for over 30 years, she was returned to the Bristol dry dock where she was created. She is now considered as Bristol’s number one tourist attraction and is at the heart of a multi award wining visitor centre. Read More
Clifton Suspension Bridge
The Clifton Suspension Bridge was also designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Completed in 1864 and was described upon completion as “The ornament of Bristol and the wonder of the age” by Sir Abraham Elton. It is one of the most iconic and recognisable structures within the city and has pedestrian walkways on both sides where you can see the river Avon, 75 metres below snaking off towards the Bristol channel. The Bridge is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. A short walk from the University, a visit to the Bridge can be combined with a visit to the Clifton Observatory, the location of a large Camera Obscura; one of only three working Camera Obscuras in the U.K. today. Read More
Street Art
Bristol is recognised as the home to a significant modern day street art / graffiti movement. Bristol was the original base for the modern day graffiti innovator, Banksy and you can see examples of his artwork on walls throughout the city (and in the Museum). The centre of Bristol also features huge graffiti type murals from various contemporary artists and you can arrange a guided tour of local significant graffiti (see link below). The picture below shows a typical example of Bristol street art and features some of the cities most famous sons: Wallace and Gromit (Aardman). Graphitti Tours
Bristol Harbourside
Bristol’s floating harbour was created crica. 1809 and was once a busy national and internationally important working harbour. Having undergone many decades of redevelopment, the harbour is a vibrant social area filled with art centres, hotels, bars and restaurants. The area includes interesting architectural curiosities, such as one of the worlds first reinforced concrete buildings (now the home of the hands-on science explore centre: We The Curious). The harbour is located close to the University (15 minutes walk) and a circular stroll around the harbour (from the Watershed to the Cumberland Basin) is an excellent way to view the Suspension Bridge from below and a range of all that is old and new within the centre of the city. Read More
General Information
| Language | The official language in the U.K. and at PCS 2021 is English. |
| Time | Bristol (and the U.K.) is at UTC/GMT +1 hours during June/July. |
| Electricity | The electrical voltage supplied in Bristol (and the U.K.) is: 220-240 Volts (U.S./Canada: 110-120 Volts). Most consumer devices are capable of handling both voltage ranges but plug adapters are required. |
| Emergency Numbers | Fire, Ambulance, Police – 999 Police (non-emergency) – 101 NHS (non-emergency) – 111 |
| Banking & Currency |
Sterling: (Great British Pounds – GBP): £s; is the official currency. Banks’ working hours (mostly): Monday-Friday from 09:00–17:00 |
| Tipping | Tipping is optional for a range of services but most common for restaurants where approximately 10% of the bill is a good guideline. |
| Climate | Bristol has a temperate climate. The average temperature during the month of July is 14°C to 22°C and can be sunny and / or rainy |