An Appraisal of Bristol

When I first visited Bristol, I was pleased to read that that John Betjeman agreed with what I was already thinking – that this is England’s best city. The Yale guide begins with another pleasing statement: that this city showcases the widest gamut of English architecture.

Bristol seemed to be as close to my ideal city I was to find in England, knowing that there is a huge gulf between our capital and the other big cities. I disovered that the larger cities do not have more of the things that are important to me, such as cinemas and theatres, than smaller ones. And that anything I gained in say Manchester over Norwich was a loss in areas such as historic streets of independents and cathedral closes.

But Bristol did appear to be a medium city. It is half way in size (c400,000 people) and has elements of the larger city and the older kind which I had previously favoured. Mediums can be tedious: they can be a intermediary point, a moderation of all things; or they can fall between being two entities. I came to see Bristol as the latter. It’s not a York or a Liverpool.

It’s kind of a mini London in that its centre is only a small part of its character. If London has villages, then Bristol is one of the few (if only) English city to be made up of a series of hamlets. I’d sketch an overview of Edinburgh as a sunflower – a prominent centre in two halves (old and new towns) but with a few wide petals of places to find café culture attached. Bristol’s centre would be an elongated shape, and its petals would be longer and more prominent that the middle. Clifton feels like Westminster and Kensington in that it is as much part of the city’s character and cultural life as the old city. Like London’s West End, Bristol’s is pleasing to view with smart shops, cafes and housing. Its old centre is akin to the City but that is not so pleasing. Bristol’s piecemeal medieval heart is also marooned under its financial district. The dead offices at weekends of Temple Quay are a smaller version of Canary Wharf. But Bristol does not have London’s museums – its second biggest one has just closed and moved to London – although its new one is opening next year.