With its mix of historic city streets and expansive green spaces, Bristol has a wide selection of nice places to go walking.
From sightseeing in the city streets to leisurely ambles through the countryside or by the harbour, there’s a place in Bristol to go walking whatever your mood.
Read on to discover some of our favourite walking routes.
The Walled City Walk is a circular route following the old town walls of Norman Bristol. At just over 1 kilometre, the round trip typically takes between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes to walk and takes in the historic architecture of St Nicholas Street, Broad Street and Corn Street along the way.
Starting and finishing in Bristol city centre, a walk around the Old City can be tacked on to a longer walk around Bristol Harbourside.
Visit Bristol Old City for a route map and further information.
A walk around Bristol Harbourside is an essential Bristol experience. Here there is a 3-mile waterside circuit that passes through Millenium Square, takes in the SS Great Britain, and gives a grandstand view of Clifton Suspension Bridge along the way.
A woodland walk through Leigh Woods takes you along the Eastern side of the Avon Gorge and provides stunning views across to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the city beyond.
As a National Trust property, there is no shortage of historic sights to see along the way, with an Iron Age hillfort, the remains of industrial quarries, and a working railway all appearing along the route.
Across the road from Leigh Woods is Ashton Court, a 850-acre estate. This rolling country park is home to herds of red and fallow deer, has beautiful wildflower meadows and offers miles of walking trails to enjoy.
Hidden between Henbury and Westbury-on-Trym, the Blaise Castle Estate is one of Bristol’s hidden gems. From the wide-open spaces of the former estate’s grounds, to the historic castle itself at the top of the hill and the wooded valley of Hazel Brook, few places can match the variety of landscapes on offer here.
This woodland walk takes in part of the 18-mile path that follows the river Frome as it winds its way down from its starting point in the Cotswolds to Castle Park in Bristol city centre.
It may run parallel to the M32, but the Frome Valley is a world away, framed by historic woodland and home to an incredible range of wildlife. Listen as the water rushes over the small weir at Snuff Mills or the sound of the birds singing as they soar across the treetops at Oldbury Court.
Watching the river Avon wind through the Gorge from the sea walls on the western edge of the Downs is one of the best views in Bristol. But there is so much more to this amazing green space. Why not stop to enjoy the plant life at the University of Bristol’s Botanic Garden to the North? Or wander through tree-lined avenues as far as the Clifton Observatory to the South?
Straddling the hillside to the south of Park Street, Brandon Hill is a city oasis. It packs a lot into a small space, with rolling lawns and stunning ornamental gardens as well as the historic Cabot Tower. Best of all are its spectacular views across the Harbour to South Bristol and beyond.
A cemetery may not seem like the ideal place to go for a walk, but this wooded Victorian garden graveyard is full of history and offers a wonderfully peaceful place to unwind. The cemetery is accessed via Bath Road in Brislington where the gates are open between 9am to 4pm every day.
Bristol is known for its street art. From Stokes Croft to Southville, there are hundreds of pieces to see in every corner of the city. Why not check out Visit Bristol’s guide to the city’s street art scene and take yourself on your own personal walking tour?
Brabazon Park is a new 15-acre public park that, once complete, will be criss-crossed by paved pathways and tranquil trails for the community in North Bristol.
The new pedestrian routes will meander around a 2.5-acre lake and landscaped lawns, passing by a children’s woodland playground, an outdoor gym and lakeside boardwalk packed with independent cafes and bars. The trails will be punctuated with public platforms for culture, art and performance and link in to a Heritage Trail that will retell the history of the airfield’s pioneering past.
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