Bristol’s Historic Harbourside Loop
The run in brief:
Key facts:
Type of run: Loop
Distance: 4 miles
Running surface: Pavements and tarmac
Elevation: 29ft (flat)
Parking: Pay and display car park within five minutes walk of Queen Square
Toilet facilities: Public toilets are available on the route
Refreshments: Cafes, pubs and restaurants can be found throughout the entire route
Starting and ending in Queen Square, this run takes you on a tour of Bristol’s historic harbourside, skirting the edge of the harbour at all times, it takes in a number of Bristol’s old industrial sites, including a number of Brunel’s famous feats of engineering, such as the SS Great Britain, the Underfall sluices and culminating in spectacular views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge spanning the Avon Gorge. This route also takes in aspects of Bristol’s new cultural industries, such as Aardman Animations HQ, Puppet Place and the Bristol Old Vic scenic workshop.
Whether it’s views stunning views of the iconic Cabot Tower, or discovering one of Bristol’s hidden Banksys, this run gives you something to discover around every corner.
Map and GPS route
Full route description:
The route starts in Queen Square, central Bristol with plenty of parking nearby, either on Queen Square itself, or in The Grove pay and display car park.
Leaving the square, you cross over Redcliffe Bascule Bridge, one of Bristol’s many bridges, criss-crossing either the River Avon or sections of the floating harbour. Running around Redcliffe Wharf, the site where the iconic replica of John Cabot’s Matthew ship was constructed in the 90s, you’ll catch views of St Mary Redcliffe Church, said by Queen Victoria herself to be ‘The finest church in the land’. You can judge that for yourself if you have time, before continuing on to complete a lap of Bathurst Basin and a view of the New Cut, a section of the River Avon built in the early 1800s when Bristol Floating Harbour was initially constructed, diverting the original path of the river, which flowed through central Bristol.
After exiting Bathurst Basin, you continue along the harbourside, passing the iconic remnants of Bristol’s maritime industrial past, the still operational Stothert and Pitt electric cargo cranes outside of M Shed, formerly a transit shed of Bristol City Docks, now a fantastic museum documenting Bristol’s social history.
These cranes, alongside a 19th century steam crane and a number of working locomotive engines belonging to Bristol Harbour Railway are a visible reminder of how the industrial revolution shaped the modern city of Bristol, with these working exhibits providing a living and breathing glimpse into Bristol’s 19th and 20th century industrial past.
Continuing along the harbourside, you soon come to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, formerly the largest passenger ship in the world for a number of year’s following its launch in 1845. Following a number of years shipping passengers across the Atlantic Ocean to New York, and even to destinations as far away as Australia, the ship retired to the Falkland Isles in the late 19th century, before falling into disrepair and eventually being towed back to Bristol in 1970 where she was restored to her former glory, although she would never sail again.
While the harbourside is inaccessible at the SS Great Britain’s dry dock, this takes you past some of Bristol’s new cultural industries, with Aardman Animations HQ, Puppet Place and Bristol Old Vic’s scenery workshop, all located within yards of one of the works of one of Bristol’s most famous sons, Banksy. Look out for his iconic Girl with the Pierced Eardrum in an alleyway opposite Albion Dockyard.
Once you’ve passed Albion Dockyard and Bristol Marina, home to a number of residents living in houseboats, a picturesque run along the waterfront can be found, looking out over the coloured houses of Cliftonwood and Hotwells. A number of pubs and cafes can be found at this end of the floating harbour, whether that’s The Cottage, Underfall Yard Cafe or the Pump House. Before stopping though, make sure to run to the far end of the harbour, for breathtaking views of Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the River Avon, as well as his slightly less well known Other Bridge, a swivel bridge currently parked next to Cumberland Basin, underneath the bigger Plimsoll swing bridge.
Before making your way back to the start alongside the other edge of the harbour, make sure to check out the Underfall Sluice Gates, initially built by William Jessop and substantially improved by Brunel in the 1830s. In fact, the entire Underfall area provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of 19th century Bristol, with a pump room, slip way and numerous dock maintenance workshops all present, and in many cases, still operational.
The return trip around the harbour provides less in the way of specific landmarks to visit, but you’re able to get much better views of the SS Great Britain if you weren’t tempted to pay for the museum visit mid-run!
