About Bristol

Bristol

Hamptons offers you a warm welcome to the ‘capital’ of south west England.

Congratulation, if you are house hunting in Bristol you have already won. A home in this great city with all it offers, automatically makes you the envy of millions of Britains. Now in order to make your transition as smooth and hassle free as possible Hamptons have put together this great guide which will help you choose the best schools, learn a little about planning and bulding control, read tips on where to shop and eat and lot’s more, all packed into one little guide with clickable links. Perhaps most importantly we have researched some of the leading local professionals and experts who can help you add value and personalise your soon to be new home. So whether it’s Clifton, Redcliffe, Leigh Woods, Hotwells or any other of the fantastic local areas, a big WELCOME and enjoy.

HISTORY The historic of City of Bristol, straddling the River Avon with its deep maritime history was essentially a prosperous central port for industry in the South-West for nearly a thousand years. Today, this city port is now a cultural centre known as the Harbourside, home to a ‘hustle-bustle’ epicentre of old warehouses that have been converted into trendy shops, restaurants and a modern art gallery, The Arnolfini. The vast City of Bristol with its diverse open spaces has something for everyone. A wonderfully diverse, multicultural city. It was no surprise then, when it was voted the number 1 place to live in the UK in 2017. Low crime rates, great job prospects (especially in IT and the arts/entertainment industry) and matched with stunning waterfronts, eclectic bars and funky, indie boutique shops, Bristol is the capital of cool.

There is no other city like Bristol with it’s indie spirit, culture, education and constant transformation.

When you think of hip cities and trendy destinations, it’s fair to say exotic, farflung places such as the Seychelles, Australia or Paris might spring to mind - but we should, in fact, be looking a little closer to home. Bristol has been named as Europe’s trendiest city in the National Geographic Traveller UK’s Cool List, which sets out the world’s ultimate 18 must-see destinations for 2020.

It ranks Bristol as 11th on the list, which places it ahead of any other European city - despite other European countries as a whole ranking more highly. Bristol is also the only British destination at all to make the list. Bristol wins praise from the guide for its fiercely independent spirit, its impressive food scene and the striking regeneration of the Harbourside. It’s still home to pretty Georgian terraces, the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge and Brunel’s SS Great Britain. This is a city that goes from colonial-era industrial savvy to leftfield creativity and nowhere is this more apparent than in its food scene. Bristol is always being touted as the best place to eat outside London, with seven new entries in the Good Food Guide.” Added to this a rudely healthy music scene and birth place of Trip-hop (bands like Portishead, Massive Attack and Tricky leading the way.

Stroll through streets covered in art, admire centuries old artefacts or explore Bristol’s music scene with our guide to cultural attractions in Bristol. Bristol is a city rich in heritage and culture encompassing everything from art and history to music, sport, theatre, and of course, our people. Bristol is lucky to have so many highly-renowned and cutting-edge art galleries which regularly showcase both classic, well-known and emerging artists’ work... Within a short walk or cycle you can see contemporary art, historic art and an ever-changing and lively programme of exhibitions. Bristol is also the home of infamous street artist Banksy and as a result of this connection, the city has become a hotbed for new and emerging street artists to paint the town in many colours.

Banksy was involved in the wave of street art that took Bristol by storm in the 1980s.

FAMOUS RESIDENTS

Bristol Somerset and the surrounding area has been a home to rockstars, celebrities, athletes, academics, artists and common or garden members of the upper-crust for generations. Here are a few notable names you may or may not know..

J K Rowling John Cleese

Cary Grant (1904 - 1986)-Actor Nick Park (1958 - ) Oscar winning animator creator of Wallace and Gromit J K Rowling (1965 -) Author of the Harry Potter series of books Banksy (?)Enigmatic street artist Derren Brown (1971 -) Mentalist ,illusionist Massive Attack- 90’s Electro dance outfit Sarah Dallin, Keren Woodward -Bananarama -80’s girl group Idles-indie rock band formed 2009 Tricky (1969 -) Rapper and record producer Robin Cousins (1957-) Olympic skater and TV judge Judd Trump (1989 -) World champion 2019 Snooker player John Cleese (1939 -) Actor, Monty python and Fawlty Towers creator Lee Evans (1964 - ) Stand up comedian David Walliams OBE (1971 - ) Actor, Author and BGT TV judge Sir Bernard Lovell (1913 – 2012) Physicist/radio astronomer Damien Hirst (1965 -) Conceptual, paint and sculptor Artist Tony Benn (1925 - 2014) Labours longest serving MP