Discover a wide range of local history resources for Bristol, England.
Bristol is both a city and a county, so Bristol is not in Somerset but in its own county.
Page Contents:
- What Is Bristol Famous For?
- Areas of Bristol
- Local History Videos
- Local History Facebook Pages And Groups
- Local History Groups And Resources About Bristol
What Is Bristol Famous For?
The Clifton Suspension Bridge, opened in 1864, is an iconic symbol of the city. You can walk or cycle across the Clifton Suspension Bridge for free but vehicles are charged.
The free visitor centre at the Leigh Woods end Clifton Suspension Bridge is open between 10 am – 5 pm each day. It’s only closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and shuts an hour early on Boxing day.
Bristol Zoo is also a major tourist attraction in the city, along with the development at Bristol Harbourside. If you’re in the mood for wandering, the Georgian houses in Clifton are worth a look.
Areas of Bristol
Is it safe to live in Bristol? Yes. There are some areas of deprivation where street crime has a higher risk of occurring, but be aware of your surroundings and make sensible decisions about where to be, especially after dark.
The following areas are in the city and county of Bristol:
- Avonmouth
- Clifton
- Filton
- Bristol Harbourside
- Henbury
- Redland
- St Pauls
- Southmead
- Stokes Croft
- The Downs
- Westbury-on-Trym
Local History Videos
Where areas of Bristol listed above are highlighted, you can click through to a page of links to free-to-view online videos showing the area’s past.
In addition, we have a page set up for Bristol: Old Photos And Film where distinct areas were not specified or were part of a wider look at the city.
You may also be interested to see our page of links to past videos of schools in Bristol.
Local History Facebook Pages And Groups
Facebook pages and groups can be a great way to connect with other people and discussions about Bristol’s past. You can join, like or follow these Facebook communities:
- Bristol Archives
- Bristol History
- Bristol History Podcast
- ALHA – Avon Local History & Archaeology
- Bristol & Avon Family History Soc.
- History of Bristol Docks and local Villages.
- Stoke Bishop Local History Group
Local History Groups And Resources About Bristol
Whether you are passionate about genealogy or just want to know more about the place you live in, there’s plenty of information about Bristol available to you.
Avon Gardens Trust
Avonmouth Genealogy Group
Barton Hill History Group
Bishopston, Horfield & Ashley Down Local History Society
Boundless – Bath & Bristol Group
Brislington Conservation and History Society
Bristol and Avon Family History Society
Bristol Aero Collection Trust
Bristol and Avon Archaeological Society
Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society
Bristol and Avon Family History Society
Bristol Archives
Bristol Central Library – local history collection in the Reference Library
Bristol Civic Society
Bristol Radical History Group
Bristol History and Archaeological Society
Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society
Bristol Insight Tour Guides
Bristol Medico-historical Society
Bristol Radical History Group
Bristol Record Society
Bristol Threatened History Group
Crockerne Pill and District History Society
Frenchay Tuckett Society
Friends of Bristol City Museum and Archives
Guild of Registered Tourist Guides (South-West)
Hotwells, Clifton and Cliftonwood Local History Society
Knowle and Totterdown Local History Society
Malago History Society for Bedminster & Bishopsworth
Regional History Centre, University of the West of England
Stoke Bishop Local History Group
Westbury on Trym Society
Bristol History
What does Bristol mean? In 1000AD a bridge across the River Avon lead to the Olde English name Brycgstow, meaning place at the bridge.
The Hatchett Inn on Frogmore Street was constructed in 1606 and underwent a lot of alteration before its Grade II listing. The name is thought to come from the axes once used by woodsmen in nearby Clifton Woods.
The city’s major maritime trading port lead to a dark period of slave trading until slavery in England became illegal in 1833. The Port of Bristol continued to be a major source of trade and employment until the docks closed in 1975.
The Luftwaffe air raids of World War II caused death and destruction on a massive scale. The Dutch House was one of many historic buildings lost forever. The new few decades saw rebuilding programmes on a vast scale.
Bristol is famous for the Clifton suspension bridge which has become a symbol of the city, the thriving music and artistic communities, and the nationally celebrated political street artist Banksy. The harbourside is a visitor attraction, boasting a modern development filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and hotels.
More than forty thousand full-time students attend the city’s educational institutions, which include the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school.
Other Local History Resources
In addition, there are many national resources (enough to justify their own page!) which could help your local history research.
More Pictures of Old Bristol
Old Bristol in England, enjoyed through historic photos, vintage pictures & archive film. Browse history in these fascinating old images of a bygone era on my Pinterest Board at:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LocalHistoryVideos/bristol-englandold-photos-history
More about Bristol
- Dr Thomas Macnamara, Minister of Labour
- Local History Resources for Bristol, England
- Stokes Croft In Bristol, England
- Old Images of Redland & Clifton,Bristol
- Schools In Bristol: Old Photos & Film
- St Paul’s Bristol History In Old Photos And Film
- Old Images of Bristol, England
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