Bristol Feb / Mar 2005

moved to Bristol at the end of January 2005 to be closer to work. I have a flat in the City Centre, on Baldwin Street, near to all the bars. So obviously as I now live in Bristol, I have done a bit of sightseeing, and taken a few snaps. So here are the photo's that I have taken during February and March, some of which were when I was on my own, and some are taken when Korina was over to stay. There are a variety of locations covered, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol Zoo, the Harbourside, and a Panoramic City view from the Cabot Tower.

My flat at Baldwin Chambers on Baldwin Street, above Hard Rock Bar in Bristol City Centre

Bristol is the largest city in the south west of England, with a population of approximately half a million. The city lies between Somerset and Gloucestershire and has been politically administered by both counties in part at various times. However, Bristol is historically a county in its own right and is properly entitled the City and County of Bristol.

Korina Harbourside...

Marina...

On the Waterfront...

@Bristol...

The Dome...

Bristol Cathedral

Construction of the cathedral, once an Augustinian abbey, began in the 12th century; the central tower was added in 1466. The chapter house and gatehouse are good examples of late Norman architecture. The cathedral's interior was singled out for praise by Sir John Betjeman, the late poet laureate.

In 1539, the abbey was closed, and the incomplete nave was demolished. The building was turned into the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in 1542. In 1868, plans were drawn up to complete the nave to its medieval design. The architect, G. E. Street, found the original pillar bases, so the cathedral is much as it would have been when it was still the abbey church. J. L. Pearson added the two towers at the west end and further reordered the interior.

The eastern end of the cathedral, especially the choir, gives the structure a unique place in the development of British and European architecture. The nave, choir, and aisles are all of the same height, making a large hall. Bristol Cathedral is the major example of a "hall church" in Great Britain and one of the finest anywhere in the world.

Town Hall...

The University Tower

Bristol Uni

Brown's Cafe Bar in Clifton...

La Tasca in Clifton...

Museums...

Korina at the Fountain of Life

Queen Victoria...

Downtown...

Corn Exchange...

Central Park...

St. Mary Redcliffe Church

The parish church of St. Mary Redcliffe is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. Queen Elizabeth I, on her visit in 1574, is said to have described it as "the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England." Thomas Chatterton, the boy poet, called it "the pride of Bristol and the western land." The American Chapel (St. John's Chapel) houses the tomb and armour of Admiral Sir William Penn, father of Pennsylvania's founder

Swan River...

Waterside...

Till Dusk...

Weather with you...

That River View...

Calm before the storm...

All Bar One...

The Clifton Suspension Bridge

Avon Gorge

A Bridge Too Far... Robert & Korina windswept on the Bridge

Good Gorge...

Towering...

The Clifton Observatory and Camera Obscura

The Observatory stands on the site formerly occupied by a snuff-grinding mill that was burnt out in 1777 through having been over-driven in a gale. In 1828 the site was rented to Mr. West, an artist. He constructed the Camera Obscura and cut the underground passage to St. Vincent's Cave. Both remain and are open to visitors. The cave's visiting platform may be seen clearly from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, set within the sheer 250 ft cliff face

Shadows...

Plaques...

Robert & Korina at the Bridge

The Bridge...

The Wonderous Clifton Suspension Bridge Towering over Avon Gorge

A View of Bristol from the Clifton Observatory

The view from the visitor's platform at St Vincent's Cave

Clifton...

A Bar Crawl Home...

Bristol Town Hall Again

Statues...

Bristol Cathedral & Library

Oriental...

The Glassboat on the River Avon

The Shakespeare Pub and Temple Meads

Robert & Korina City Centre

Bristol Zoo

The Seal & Penguin Pen

Fighting Penguins & Insects

Korina...

Just Rodents...

The Zoological Gardens...

Country House...

The Rainforest...

Wildlife...

A View back at the Zoo

Robert & Korina back at the Flat

The Cabot Tower

A Bristol landmark - 32.4m high on the top Brandon hill. It is visible from many parts of the city, and at night its beacon flashes a message in Morse code. Climb to the top on a clear day and take some amazing pictures of Bristol. The 100 feet high tower commemorates John Cabot's voyage to America in 1497 (he discovered Newfoundland) and was built in 1897 (and opened on 6th September 1898).

Around the base of the Tower are emplacements for captured Russian guns brought back to England after the Crimean War. Over the entrance door in the north side are the ancient arms of the City. On the eastern arch are the arms of Henry VII and a plaque recording Cabot's voyage. On top of the spire is a gilded figure intended to be Peace or Commerce, surmounting a globe.

The tower was designed by William Venn Gough (1842-1918), and he said the deisgn was based on a tower in the Loire in France - but in a style prevalent in England at the time of Henry VII.