With a steeped and varied history chronicling back to the 11th century, Bristol has made an indelible mark in the annals of time.
From the early beginnings of the Anglo-Saxons, it quickly established itself as a major port in the ever growing sea trade, and as this grew, so did the need to develop Bristol into the historical trading hub that it’s known for today…
Alongside Bristol’s eventful history is its roll call of celebrities such as; Cary Grant, J. K. Rowling, Darth Vader (David Prowse), Blackbeard (Edward Teach), Massive Attack, Portishead & Banksy (to name but a few!), so it comes as no surprise that Bristol is frequently voted as the one of the nicest places to live!
So much so, it has been awarded Best in the UK on no less than 17 occasions!
Accolades include:
- Most Musical City (Telegraph 2010)
- Most Liveable City (Money Supermarket 2013)
- Best City (Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain report 2014 & 2017)
- UK’s Smartest City (Guardian 2014)
- European Green Capital Award (European Commission 2015)
- One of the best places to raise a family (OneFamily HotSpots 2015)
- One of the best cities to study in (Whatuni Student 2015)
- One of the most creative cities (Creative Boom 2015
- Best city life for students (Whatuni Student 2015)
- One of the most dog-friendly cities (Trust Housesitters 2016)
- One of the world’s best cities for street art (Independent 2016)
- One of the top-five coolest cities in the UK (WebBlinds.com 2016)
- One of the happiest cities to work in (Guardian 2016)
- UK’s best shopping destination for groups (Group Travel Awards 2016)
- One of the most colourful cities in the world (Guardian 2016)
- UK’s most inspiring city (Inspiring Cities Ranking 2016)
- UK’s first cycling city (2008)
Bristol’s rich cultural history and diversity, runs alongside its modern economy built on the creative media, technology, electronics and aerospace industries. Your typical Bristolian would be considered as generous, inquisitive, laid back and out-going, reflecting the character of the city they inhabit, giving you an overall sense of a major city without the sprawling expanse, making its attractions truly accessible and walkable…
Interesting Bristol facts you might not know:
- HMV – Nipper the HMV dog was from Bristol!
- Royal York Crescent in Clifton (built 1791 to 1820) is the longest terrace in Europe
- Ribena was invented here! (University of Bristol 1933)
- Introduced the world’s first chocolate Easter eggs (1873)
- The birthplace of drum & bass (1990’s)
- Concorde – the world’s first supersonic commercial jet was designed & built here
- Bristol Zoo is the world’s 5th oldest zoo (1836)
- Queen Square is the largest Georgian residential square in England
- The place of the world’s first bungee jump! (1979)
- First major European city to elect a Black Mayor (2016)
- The world’s biggest manufacturer of hot air balloons
- New York City (Waterside Plaza) was built on the rubble of Bristol’s WWII bombings
- Before GMT standardisation, Bristol ran 10 minutes behind London!
- Bristol (like New York) is both a city and a county
- Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’ features many locations around Bristol
- “Ship shape and Bristol fashion” relates to Bristol’s high tidal range; when ships ran aground in low tide their cargo could be spoiled or flung over if not tied down or tidily stowed away!
- Globally, there’s 35 cities, towns & other places named Bristol, all believed to be named after the original Bristol, UK (29 just in the U.S)
So why is Bristol such a great place to live?
With its abundance of iconic historical landmarks, bustling social venues, globally recognised music / art scene, there are just too many to list!
However, if you are still yet to be convinced, here are some additional reasons to whet your whistle!
- Beautiful period properties
- Great primary and secondary schools (50+ ranked outstanding or good)
- 2 prestigious universities (Bristol University – ranked #55 in the world / UWE Bristol)
- Strong regional economy (Aerospace, technology, engineering, Film / media)
- Historic attractions and landmarks
- 2 major shopping centres (The Mall – Cribbs Causeway / Cabot Circus – Bristol City Centre)
- Thriving food culture
- A cultural haven
- Outdoor festivals and events
- Beautiful outdoor spaces (Tyntefield / Ashton Court etc), countryside and beach at your doorstep
- Abundance of sports (Bristol Bears Rugby / Bristol City Football Club / Bristol Rovers Football Club)
- Strong transport infrastructure (M4/M5 motorways as well as Bristol Temple Meads train station)
- A safe city
Bristol continues to evolve and grow at a rapid pace, with ongoing developments in both the residential and commercial sector making this the major hub in the South West region.
Whatever your reason, Bristol will no doubt satisfy your needs, with so much to offer and discover, there is only one question to ask… why have you not called me yet?!
