It’s hard not to be awe inspired by the Avon Gorge, which dramatically cuts through the hilltops on the West side of Bristol. Here you will find the Clifton Suspension Bridge, as well as other fascinating historic sites. Rare birds soar above the cliffs, while the River Avon meanders below on its way to the sea.
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Home to rare species
This spectacular river gorge is a short walk from Clifton Village, which is perched on the top of the limestone cliffs. It is over 300 feet (91 metres) deep at its highest point by the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and over 700 feet (213 metres) wide.
The cliffs and hilltops are home to rare flora and fauna, including species unique to the gorge, such as the Bristol and Wilmotts whitebeam trees, Bristol rock cress and Bristol Onion! It is also the habitat of Peregrine falcons, which are now rare in the UK, as well as jackdaw and horseshoe bats which live in the caves and bridge buttresses.
Geologists believe that it was created during the ice age, when a glacier blocked the natural flow of the River Avon westward to the sea, forcing it to cut through the limestone, and reach the Severn estuary at Avonmouth.
A giant love story
However, according to local folklore, the gorge was created in a much more colourful way! The myth tells the story of two giants, Goram and Vincent, who were brothers. They had both fallen in love with a goddess called Avona. She was a guardian of the area, and was worried that the only source of water was a lake some way away, in the distant Mendip Hills.
So, she gave the giants a challenge. She would marry the first one to drain the lake, and create a river through Bristol to the Severn Estuary. Goram began the task in Henbury, North Bristol, but grew hot from digging. He slammed his fist into the ground, creating the rock pool which can now be seen at Blaise Castle. He bathed in the pool, drank mead, and soon fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Vincent focussed on the task, and spent the day digging through the limestone with his axe, until water gushed through forming a river. He won Avona’s hand in marriage, and the river was named after her.
Goram was heartbroken, and threw himself into the Bristol Channel. The tip of his head and shoulder turned to stone, and can be seen as the islands – Steep Holm and Flat Holm!
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Most visitors to Bristol flock to see this iconic bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge at a height of 245 feet above the river, a triumph of Victorian engineering. However, it’s not hard to imagine that the building of this great bridge wasn’t easy! On the far tower, on the Leigh Woods side, there is a Latin inscription: SUSPENSA VIX VIA FIT, which translates as, “A suspended way made with difficulty.” This suggests the trials encountered on a project which was started in 1754, and wasn’t completed until over a century later, in 1864. By the time of its completion, the famous Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, had already died!
In recent years, controversy has raged over whether Sarah Guppy, a Victorian mother of six, and inventor, was the real designer of the bridge. For more information on the building of the bridge, and the stories surrounding it, read my article Clifton Suspension Bridge – tall tales.
The Observatory
This fairy tale castle is a short walk up the hill from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and is called the Clifton Observatory. I keep expecting to see Rapunzel appear at the top window! This magical building was built as a windmill in 1766 – first to grind corn and then snuff.
Sadly, the sails were left to turn during a gale, and the machinery inside caught fire, damaging the building. It was left to become derelict for over fifty years, until local artist William West, rented it for 5 shillings (25 pence) a year, and turned it into a studio.
He installed telescopes and a camera obscura in the tower, accessed by a spiral flight of steps. From about 1810, many artists moved to Bristol, attracted by the bustling scenes of urban life and striking natural settings. Over the years, they were described as the Bristol School. They gathered at West’s studio, to draw and paint the spectacular views of the Avon Gorge, and Leigh Woods on the other side.
Many of these paintings are now on display in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. West called the pictures which originated from images within the camera obscura ‘photogenic drawing,’ and were based on the work of William Fox Talbot.
Today, these early 19th century Bristol artists, like Edward Bird, Francis Danby and Rolinda Sharples, are not well known, almost forgotten, and to put this right, the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux planned an exhibition of their work, supported by the Louvre. The exhibition had to be postponed due to Covid, however it can be seen online here.
The Camera Obscura is still working today, and is open to visitors. A lens and mirror at the top of the tower project the view of the surrounding area onto a 5 feet wide circular table in a darkened room. It’s quite a bizarre experience, climbing up the tower, and seeing realtime images of people walking around and having picnics, playing out on the table. It’s like an eighteenth century CCTV!
Tunnel to the giant’s cave
The artist West also built a tunnel from the Observatory, 90 feet down through limestone rock, to a cave which opens out on the cliff known as St Vincent’s Rock. There are several mentions of the cave being a chapel, and a refuge, at different times in history, dating back to 305AD. And excavations found Romano-British pottery buried beneath the cave floor.
The rumour I have always heard, growing up in Clifton, is that it was used as a hiding place for Catholic priests during the reformation. It must have been quite scary climbing up to the cave opening, which is perched at 250 feet above the river. However, it definitely makes a great place for a secret sanctuary, with such a panoramic view of the gorge.
The Grade 11 listed building is on the Buildings at Risk Register – however – both the camera obscura and cave are still open to the public, and there is also a coffee shop – and upstairs veranda, used for events, which has stupendous views across Bristol.
Zig Zag down to Hotwells
A short walk back down towards the Avon Gorge Hotel, and you’ll see a sign for a footpath from the top of the cliff – aptly named the Zig Zag. It leads down to Hotwells, a collection of Georgian buildings by the river. For centuries, local people and sailors had drunk the milky water which bubbled up from a spring at the base of the cliff. It was found to be rich in calcium, sulphates and other minerals, and cured scurvy and other diseases.
In the 17th century, local merchants saw its potential, and built a health resort, with a bath house, pumping system, lodging houses and a parade of shops.
By the 18th century, news was spreading of the healing properties of the water. Hotwells became one of the most fashionable health spas in Britain, with the rich and famous flocking to the area to experience its medicinal waters.
It was seen as a charming rural alternative to the City of Bath, and attracted the rich and famous of Georgian society, including writers Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe, and the composer Haydn.
The water was also bottled in local factories, and sold across Europe.
The Avon Gorge Hotel
However, fashion is fickle, and in the 19th century, local businessmen found a way to pump water up to Clifton, and the spa was moved to the top of the cliff. The hotel, now called the Avon Gorge, used to be called the Grand Spa Hotel, and offered hydrotherapy treatments, accommodation, balls and fine dining. It is still one of the finest hotels in Bristol, with rooms and terraces offering awesome views of the gorge and surrounding area.
The Clifton Rocks Railway can be found adjacent to the hotel, and transported customers up and down the gorge. It is now being renovated by a team of dedicated volunteers, after it was closed and fell into disrepair.
If you enjoyed seeing the sights of the Avon Gorge, click here to find out about more things to do in Bristol.
