Clifton Through Time

Described by the poet John Betjeman as ‘the handsomest suburb of Europe’, Clifton stands overlooking the centre of the ancient maritime city of Bristol. Made famous by Brunel’s Suspension Bridge, Clifton is also well known for its splendid Georgian and Victorian architecture and its beautiful surroundings and views. It is home to the University of Bristol, the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol Zoo Gardens and many other attractions such as the Downs, the Royal Promenade, the Avon Gorge and Clifton village itself. Clifton has a long and fascinating history from the Iron Age through to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when it first became famous for housing visitors to the Hotwells spa and the home of wealthy Bristolian merchants and industrialists. In this book we see how Clifton has evolved while retaining its sense of community. Churches, pubs, shops and businesses have developed and changed through time but there is a remarkable feeling of continuous vibrancy and growth. History and modern life have truly melded together in Clifton and its neighbourhood.