Walking Bristol

Up to the 1970s Bristol could boast little in the way of free-standing sculptures and statues. It also had a poor record of keeping those it did possess.  So many of the ‘older’ sculptures fell into disrepair or were taken by thieves / art collectors (because, who wouldn’t want an 8ft statue of Queen Victoria for their back garden?).  In 1978, the Bristol Ramblers Group (a citizens group to promote walking, protect the rights of way, campaign for access to open country and defend the beauty of the countryside) started noticing the significant deterioration of the public art of Bristol and went about to protect and restore them.  The city eventually joined on board and now there are hundreds of outdoor, public sculptures throughout the center of Bristol.

Last weekend, Adam & I did one of the Ramblers self-guided tours tour taking us past about 30 public statues and sculptures (don’t worry, I’ve just pulled out 6 of my favorite photos).  Many I pass on a daily basis as I walk to work and have either never known about or never noticed. 

Ginger was quite excited when we told her what we were doing that day & made sure to keep an eye out for statues the whole way into town.

One of our favorite new discoveries is Beetle sculpture.  It was installed in 2000 for the opening of the square area it sits in. The large insect is based on a rhinoceros beetle, a scarabaeid, with one or more horns, which can support up to 850 times its own weight.  I didn’t let the girls climb on it to test the support factor.

In the same square is the Aquarena Water Sculpture, also built in 2000, by William Pye.  It is a continuous flowing water feature with stainless steel columns and black marble pools of water cascading into each other…or the biggest drinking bowl ever.

Ginger, the ever friendly one of the group, went right up to inspect ‘Bill and Bob dogs playing in pool’.  She says it’s how she best likes terriers, bronzed and stuck in a puddle.

Absolutely beautiful and bit hidden from view are the Three Kings of Cologne from 1967 by Ernest Pascoe in the early sixteenth century niches of the Chapel adjoining Fosters Almshouses.

Finally, we happened upon the Portland stone figures of a farmer and a coal miner from circa 1903. To me, these were in amazing condition for being outside in the rain for over 100 years!