Kate then joined us in the morning for a walk around Clifton Downs and spot of tea to get out of the rain. One thing we always enjoyed in British cities are their green spaces. They are always expansive, accessible and a joy to spend time in. Clifton Downs is one of our favorites thanks to the views of the Avon river and Clifton bridge in the distance. Both of which are typically much better when the sun is out...which it was decidely not when we visited today.
By now it was time to try and get Olivia back down for a nap, something we struggled to achieve while in London and the poor girl was definitely in need of some rest. She managed to stay down for a couple hours while the rest of us ate lunch, rested and got re-organized for the final push of our holiday adventure.
After nap time the weather had started to clear up so we took the girls back to the bridge so that they could walk across it and so that we could all see the museum which had opened since we moved back to the US. If you haven't figured it out by now the Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of our favorite places in Bristol and those of you who visited us while we lived there probably received our personal tour. As we walked around and across the bridge with our guests a decade ago you may have learned that the bridge was the longest span in the world at the time of construction, or that the triple chain suspension design was largely untested in Europe when Brunel incorporated it into his design, or that despite construction having started in 1931 Brunel never got to see his bridge completed as it was finished in 1864 nearly 4 years after his death. However, for the younger audience we focused primarily on the views and general aesthetics of the bridge which, in my opinion, make it one of the most beautiful bridges I've ever seen.
After nap time the weather had started to clear up so we took the girls back to the bridge so that they could walk across it and so that we could all see the museum which had opened since we moved back to the US. If you haven't figured it out by now the Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of our favorite places in Bristol and those of you who visited us while we lived there probably received our personal tour. As we walked around and across the bridge with our guests a decade ago you may have learned that the bridge was the longest span in the world at the time of construction, or that the triple chain suspension design was largely untested in Europe when Brunel incorporated it into his design, or that despite construction having started in 1931 Brunel never got to see his bridge completed as it was finished in 1864 nearly 4 years after his death. However, for the younger audience we focused primarily on the views and general aesthetics of the bridge which, in my opinion, make it one of the most beautiful bridges I've ever seen.
Our last day was spent around Bristol Harbor. Another iconic area of the city with British engineering once again coming to the fore during it's design and construction in the early 1800's. Because of the extreme tidal range along the Bristol Channel (3rd largest range in the world at 31.5 feet) ships which harbored in Bristol during low tide needed to have stronger keels in order to withstand the weight of the ship as it was effectively "beached" during low tide. Thus came the saying "Ship-shape and Bristol Fashion" prior to the construction of the docks which began in 1801. The engineering around the docks required massive ground works to clear out the land that would eventually lie between the two locks, one at Netham in the east and the other at Cumberland Basin in the west. At a distance of more than 3 miles the canals, quay sides and docks that were constructed within this floating harbor helped Bristol to remain a relevant trans-shipping point in England for another 75 to 100 years until the docks at Avonmouth were fully developed and utilized.
Today, Bristol Harbor is a central place for Bristolians to gather for festivals, enjoy dinning along the quayside, visit the museums that pay homage to it's past and generally live, work and play throughout the year.
For our day at the Harbor we started at Millennium Square to visit with some of the famous locals:
Today, Bristol Harbor is a central place for Bristolians to gather for festivals, enjoy dinning along the quayside, visit the museums that pay homage to it's past and generally live, work and play throughout the year.
For our day at the Harbor we started at Millennium Square to visit with some of the famous locals:
We walked along the quayside past Pooles Wharf Court and the old Pump House at Junction Lock to the Cumberland Basin for a view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge from below, to learn about the harbor locks that keep the water in the harbor during low tide before crossing the swinging bridge to the south side of the harbor.
From the south side of the harbor are nice views of the flats at the top of the hill that run along Royal York Crescent, The more colorful flats along Ambrose Rd and Cabot Tower on Brandon Hill before coming to Brunel's other famous Bristol edition, the SS Great Britain.
Unfortunately the SS Great Britain was closed the day we were there so we weren't able to take the girls, but that just means a return trip is in order. So we continued our stroll along the quay on our way to lunch at one of our favorite pubs, Shakespeare's Tavern.
.HEIC)
.HEIC)
After lunch our focus was on finding some local artwork to commemorate our trip, pick out out some keepsakes for the girls and meandering our way back through the city to Millennium park before dinner with my dear friend Carmen from my MBA program and completing our final packing ahead of the flight home the following day.
We had a wonderful stay in Bristol and loved taking the girls to some of our favorite places while also catching up with old friends. We were only there for 22 months but they were some of the most exciting and memorable years of our lives so perhaps it won't be 10 years before our next return trip!
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