Bristol
The Town
For a potential South West property buyer, your Recoco property finder can confirm that green and pleasant Bristol is one of the warmest cities in England, typically enjoying over 1,500 hours of sunshine annually. Your Recoco buying agent can show you how the city’s architecture reflects its history, from medieval to ultra-modern, just many of the property types your property buying agent can present to you; or ask our Recoco property finder about stunning Georgian era homes, often built in the form of terraces and attractive squares. The city has over 50 Grade I listed buildings, 500 Grade II*, and over 3,800 Grade II - your real estate buyers agent can supply you with more details.
Affluent Clifton, situated alongside Brunel’s iconic Clifton Suspension bridge built in1931, is one of Bristol’s most desirable areas to live, as your Recoco property search agent can confirm. Cotham, Redland, and Southville, meanwhile, may feature in a property search of large Victorian builds with generous amounts of green space.
Dramatic renovation and regeneration are underway around Temple Meads, the main transport hub. Ask your property buying agent for more details of the ambitious plans to crease a sustainable Temple quarter as a place to live, work, study and enjoy, building on Bristol’s regeneration as a world leading smart city.
Transport
Your Recoco buying agent can also help with information about transport in the city. Major road routes including the M4 and M5 connect the city to London, Cardiff and Wales, the West Midlands, Exeter and the the West Country. Bustling Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway railway stations are also well-connected, as your Recoco buying agent can confirm. There are regular bus shuttles to Bristol International Airport from the city centre. Cycling is popular too, just ask your Recoco property agent about the opportunities to cycle along several cycle paths, such as the popular Bristol and Bath railway cycle line, which lies 13 miles between Bristol and Bath.
History
With Bristol’s bustling port, the city really started to come into its own during the 18th and 19th centuries and, just as it did during the industrial revolution, Bristol continues to be at the forefront of industry. As your property search agent can confirm, Bristol has led the way in the importance of aviation, military procurement, education and healthcare as well as being named as a leading smart city - lying just behind London in Huawei’s UK’s smart city index. Bristol was announced as Smart City Innovator of the year by TM Forum in 2016.
Bristol is a long-established settlement; archaeologists have found prehistoric tools, such as Aoheulian hand-axes and tools of related forms found in the gravels of the Lower Bristol Avon. Although The Black Death affected the city badly, Bristol later became a regional centre of trade.
In the 19th century, the city really started to come into its own. Before 1373, when it became its own county, Bristol was divided between Somerset and Gloucestershire and is now the 10th largest built up area in Britain.
Education
Should educational requirements factor in your property search, then just ask your property buying agent about schools. The city has the second-highest number of independent places in England (after London). Your real estate buyers agent will be pleased to help inform you of what’s on offer: Badminton School; Bristol Grammar School; Clifton College; Clifton High School; the only all-boys school, Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital; and girls’ school Redmaids. City of Bristol College and South Gloucestershire and Stroud College provide further education. There are also two Bristol universities: Russell Group member University of Bristol; and the University of the West of England, offering a range of vocational academic courses.
Leisure and Events
Bristol offers plenty to amuse and entertain as wll – just ask your Recoco buying agent about boat trips, walking trails, or seasonal outdoor activities galore, including the annual Balloon Festival. Should you enjoy a little retail therapy, your Recoco property buying agent can introduce you Broadmead, Cabot Circus, or Cribbs Causeway, or your buying agent can suggest independent market and smaller shops to suit all tastes.
Bristol Harbourside provides many opportunities for entertainment with the Watershed offers independent films and media, as well as great food. There’s the historic SS Great Britain, Brunel’s iconic steam ship and the world’s first great ocean liner - winning Europe’s most welcoming museum in 2019 - your Recoco property search agent may even inform you of how you can book to stay the night on board too!
Ashton Gate stadium is a major live music entertainment venue. The Hippodrome Theatre often hosts larger drama productions, while many household names have started off at Bristol Old Vic.
For sport enthusiasts, your real estate buying agent can confirm Bristol has two major football clubs, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City, a women’s football team, Bristol City Women. Bristol Bears rugby union and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club are also present in the city.
Celebrity Connections
Keen to encounter famous Bristolians on your property search? Historical famous names with strong links to the city include Victorian super-engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, writers William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. More recently Tom Stoppard, and Angela Carter, restaurateur Keith Floyd, and comedians Justin Lee Collins, Russell Howard, and Stephen Merchant. No Bristol celebrities list would be complete without iconic street artist Banksy or affectionate nods to Wallace, Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep of Aardman Animations.
Foodies Corner
For a foodie property buyer, Bristol is a thrill. Head towards Bristol Harbourside where the cafes and restaurants provide outstanding international food. Your Recoco buying agent will be able to demonstrate when it comes to savouring the best of food and entertainment Bristol Harbourside is a delight. Your Recoco buying agent will also inform you of hearty Pieminister fare or the delights of specialist dining like the Clifton Sausage, purveyors of local artisan cheese, microbreweries, or world cuisines to relish.
Fun Facts
In Norman times, Bristol had one of the strongest castles in the south of England. It also has a long history of glass making dating from the 17th century and items produced by Bristol Blue Glass are collected world-wide.