HERITAGE MEETS HIP
From London, the UK’s capital, to Bristol, one of the country’s hippest cities, and with many more characterful villages and plenty of lush, green landscapes between. Arts and creativity along the Great West Way are diverse and fascinating at every turn Words: Robyn Powell
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ARVING A CREATIVE CORRIDOR across Britain, the route encompasses sites of artistic innovation, some old and some new, but all steeped in Britain’s creative heritage. London’s art scene has been well documented and, for centuries, writers, painters and composers have gathered here. At the other end of the Great West Way, Bristol and Bath are home to some of the grandest neoclassical architecture in Britain. The oldest continually-functioning theatre in the English-speaking world is the Bristol Old
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Vic and yet this is also the hometown of Banksy, the anonymous graffiti artist whose internationally renowned work grew out of the local underground scene. The city now hosts Upfest, a festival of street art, and some of Banksy’s best street art has been combined into a self-guided walking tour of the city. Between these two urban ‘poles’ are countless artistic gems, waiting to be unearthed or rediscovered. We can only offer a small selection to whet your appetite. Before leaving London, a must-do for lovers of the
