Solo Trip to Bristol: What to explore in two days

I am getting better when planning what to explore in two days during my solo travels. Before travelling to Bristol I did not know too much about the city. All I knew was that Banksy is from there and it was the location for the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This meant that I had no expectations heading to Bristol so I needed to research.

The city has a strong maritime history, trading with countries all over Europe. This is not surprising when you walk around the city and see boats docked along the River Avon. Nearby Filton, is the home of Rolls Royce and where the UK aerospace industry began. Indeed Filton is where Concorde was tested and built.

I was to discover more about these Bristol facts as I explored the city and culminated with me fulfilling a forgotten childhood wish. Here is what to explore in two days.

The Crafty Egg

Let’s start with something eggy. I was on the look out for somewhere original for breakfast which led me to a website recommending a lot of places. Through all the choice I decided on The Crafty Egg due to it’s baked eggs being served in a hot skillet. It was a long walk from where I was staying but very much worth it.

The baked eggs I chose were the Chessy Eggs, which were in a tomato sauce, with mozzarella, oregano and basil served with a fresh Abu Noor pitta. I ordered additional sides of sausage and halloumi to fill me up for a hard day exploring. It is a friendly place for breakfast in the cultural quarter of Bristol.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Clifton Observatory offered the ideal location to view the Clifton Suspension Bridge. There are not too many bridges that would make me stop to admire it but the Clifton Bridge is one of them. The bridge was opened in 1864 and consists of 3500 load bearing bolts and chains that go twenty miles underground.

Adrenaline junkies have used the bridge to do illegal bungee jumps. I am happy looking at the bridge from afar, much less risky and far more enjoyable I think! Be aware that the bridge is a forty-five-minute walk from the centre of Bristol.

Pieminister

I first heard about Pieminister through a travel vlog and their pies looked too good to miss. There are many Pieministers across the UK but its origins are in Bristol. Aside from the food, what I enjoyed most about Pieminister was the presentation of the pie. I ordered a Mothership meal deal consisting of a pie, mashed potato, mushy peas, cheddar and shallots. The pie is served on top of the sides. When you pour the gravy over the pie it will seep down to surround the pie, making it look as though the pie is king of the plate. A pie has never looked so good. By the way, the pie I had was a Chicken of Aragon. Very fancy!

SS Great Britain

As a lover of old ships, I was drawn to visiting the SS Great Britain as soon as I read about it. The experience is a true exploration of the history of the ship and how it looks outside and inside. Placed in a dry dock, visitors are given the opportunity to walk around the hull of the ship with a thin layer of water cleverly floating in a ceiling above.

On board the ship, visitors can climb to the top of one of the masts providing an insight into the life of a real sailor. Not something I personally did but I can see the appeal.

Aerospace – Concorde

Remember that wish I mentioned earlier? Well here is where I fulfilled it. When I was younger I hoped that one day I would be able to fly on Concorde. Now, unfortunately, I can’t actually do that anymore but I did the next best thing. At the Aerospace centre, I went aboard the last Concorde to ever fly.

Seeing Concorde up close was better than I ever imagined. The planes aerodynamic design just makes it look so cool. It was ahead of its time and still looks like it. During a tour, the overwhelming feeling I got was that Concorde has such an enduring appeal. Young and old, including me, are drawn to Concorde as if it is a celebrity or a famous work of art. It really is something to admire and it is such a shame that its days in the air are over.

One fact I learnt that captured my imagination related to how high Concorde flew. Through the planes smaller windows all you could see were the clouds far below and the darkness of space above. I never knew Concorde flew that high.

What else could you want?

What I managed to explore in two days at Bristol surprised me. In addition, one morning I did a walk of the Upfest festival where I learnt about street art. How I fitted this in I do not know. 

The variety of what you can do in Bristol has no limits. You can learn about street art, eat crafty eggs, feast on an epic pie, climb up a mast, walk across a world-famous bridge and set foot inside the worlds only supersonic commercial plane. If none of these is good enough reason to visit Bristol then nothing else is.

No need for postcards, feel free to write a comment…