Why Bristol?

Bristol Overview

Bristol is a vibrant and exciting city with something for everyone. Whether you’re here for the culture, food, nightlife, scenery, music, or anything else for that matter, the city has something in store for you. There are festivals and events all year round, from the festive Christmas market in the winter, to the Bristol Light Festival in spring. However, the city really comes to life in the summer, with events such as the Balloon Fiesta, the Harbour Festival and music festivals like Love Saves the Day and Tokyo World. Bristol has a population of 450,000 and 2 major universities. It balances busy city life with beautiful rural areas, such as Ashton court, which is easily accessible on foot across the stunning Clifton suspension Bridge. 

Bristol Location

Bristol is in the South-West of England, only 1 hour 20 mins by train from London, and 15 minutes from Georgian Bath. The airport is situated 20 minutes away by bus, with flights regularly departing across Europe. The city is situated in the South-West of England and is only 2 hours by train from metropolitan city of London, and 15 minutes from the historic town of Bath. The city has great international access with an airport situated 20 minutes away by bus, with flights regularly departing across Europe.

IH Bristol location

The Oakfield Road school is on a quiet street in Clifton. The Queens Avenue school is a few minutes' walk from the Clifton Triangle and Bristol University. Click here for a map and more about how to find us. Clifton is an elegant and prestigious part of Bristol, that is lined with Georgian townhouses and refined restaurants and cafes. It is very close to some of Bristol’s key landmarks and is within walking distance with College Green and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Food & Music 

The city is famous for its rich cultural diversity through food and art, whether contemporary or classical. You can dine in three Michelin starred restaurants or try the street food offered at St Nicks Market. You can experience music of all kinds from Classical to Indie and everything in between. 

Art

View the art at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery with a large range of ever-changing exhibitions or the M shed for a real look at Bristol’s own unique history. You can even view art walking along the streets. Street graffiti artist Banksy was born in Bristol in 1974 and was involved in the wave of street art that took Bristol by storm in the 1980.  You can view the 11 Banksy pieces along withthose of other fantastic artists. Bristol also hosts Upfest, Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival and helps define Bristol’s youthful character.

Cafes & Bars

Bristol is host to lots of unique and independent cafes, with Gloucester Road being the longest road of independent shops in the UK in 2019. Along this road you find many of the city’s students gathering to try out the best coffee shops, bars and restaurants.

Check out the Best of Bristol to get a real feel for the best local places.

Sport and Activities

Bristol is a city keen on sports and activities, it hosts two rival football teams, being Bristol City and Bristol Rovers and one of the largest rugby teams in the country, which is currently competing for the top place in Europe. You can rest assured there will be lots of places to watch the 2022 football world cup!!

Festivals

Bristol is host to festivals of all forms. The Balloon Fiesta is a festival for everyone, wherever you are you can see the balloons descend across the city in the summer. The Harbour Festival takes place in July and there are food and film festivals in August, when the UK’s biggest touring outdoor cinema company, Adventure Cinema, brings four days of outdoor cinema with classic movies and recent releases. There is stand-up comedy from some of the UK’s best-loved comedians, local street food and specially curated short films from regional film makers.  

Famous for its music, Bristol hosts a range of music festivals, including: Love Saves the Day, Tokyo World and Summer of Love to name a few.  

History

Bristol was originally an important port town, with shipping and international trade its main source of wealth. Fortunately, many of Bristol key historical landmarks remain today. The SS Great Britain as pictured below is world’s first great ocean liner, and the longest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1854. The Clifton observatory is a beautiful landmark where you can have a drink whilst you watch the sunset overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge. 

Things to see and do in Bristol