Bristol

I have been to Bristol a few times and so have already done some of the touristy things, but I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for little-known places or things to do.  DH wants to go there in June for a concert so we thought we'd make a weekend of it.  Any suggestions?  TIA!

I lived in Bristol for a year, and love the place. Was on a very basic budget (still am) so had to scrounge out free/cheap stuff.

Some suggestions:

St. Nicholas Market. http://stnicholasmarketbristol.co.uk/
The way a market should be, covered/inside. All kinds of stuff in an historic setting.

The Pirate Tour. http://www.piratewalks.co.uk/walk-details.asp
Touristy, and costs 6 quid a head, but this guy knows all about Bristol's Piratical Past, very entertaining.

Clifton Bridge. Brunnel's masterpiece and you may have already seen it, but the park next to it is very cool for picnics and ice cream vans. The observatory has this old tunnel thing where you pop out about halfway down the cliff. Costs maybe £2. The Clifton Arcade is good for a stroll through, though the stuff is pricey (good for old books tho). http://www.cliftonarcade.co.uk/

The cheap train to Bath. Return tickets are just a few quid and the trip only takes about 15 minutes. And there you are in Bath. Leaves from Temple mead which isn't far from the market.

Bristol City Museum. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Leisure-Culture/Museums-Galleries/bristols-city-museum---art-gallery.en;jsessionid=0329785630C97D6732E7A2AE6A38603F.tcwwwaplaws2
Just a gem of an old slightly shabby museum. Old manky stuffed bears and curios that would have been put in storage by most museums. Beautiful building.

Brandon Hill. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Environment-Planning/Parks-and-open-spaces/parks/brandon-hill.en
A hill with a tall tower you can climb for free, surrounded by very well maintained non-typical gardens. Great view of teh harbour, and the best picnic spot in Bristol.

Bristol Zoo. http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/
A nice zoo. Met a guy out front of it who knew Field Marshal Montgomery - said he was a great guy. The guided open top bus goes here - via a wonderfully steep climb up the cliffs.

Bristol Cathedral is wonderful.

Check the Bristol City homepage for free events on College Green.
   

I feel really bad because I saw your post the other day, historyenne, and I couldn't think of anything to suggest... despite the fact that I was born in Bristol and have lived in the local area my whole life!! Problem is, most of the stuff I do in the city is everyday stuff, like shopping, visiting friends, going to the pub, going to work etc. (I'll be in the city centre all week, but only because I'm doing jury service at the moment!) so I never see the touristy side!

sonofasailor has some good suggestions, although just to warn you that Bristol Zoo admission is quite pricey (I haven't been to the zoo since I was 7, on a school trip, and so when I looked into their prices a couple of years ago, I couldn't believe the cost!), but the museum is free to visit (I haven't been inside since I was a kid, but my parents went last week and said it was really good). Another thought, if you haven't done it already is a visit to the SS Great Britain (http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/Home.aspx).

The Organic Food Festival: http://www.theorganicfoodfestival.co.uk/2009/

I *heart* Bristol. I *heart* food.

That's OK, ksand, it can be hard to recommend things in places you live  

I hate zoos so I think we'll give that one a miss.  We have seen the SS Great Britain, and the Clifton Bridge and Bath and St Nicholas's market.  Brandon Hill sounds interesting, and DH is a pirate junkie so we might do the Pirate Tour.  

Thanks for the suggestions!

ETA: Oooh, organic food festival...*drool*....thanks Mapleleafgirl!

The guy who does the Pirate tours is one of those Bristolian wacky people - and extremely knowledgeable, he was even part of the group that designed the Pirates of the Caribbean ride for Disney (he disproved of the final version). He takes you over to Bedminster to this pub which has an entrance to the catacombs in the back room and there's a real skeleton in there and everything. Apparently the place was an underground pirate warren and almost all of the houses there have entrances in the basement to the catacombs.

 

Just realised you may be looking for a perhaps more romantic type experience, and here I am saying, "There's a cool old pub with a cave and a corpse!"

There's this link: http://www.romancesouthwest.co.uk/ - don't know how reliable it is.