Any photographer visiting the city of Bristol is blessed with a huge variety of places to photograph. Due to the relatively small geographic size of the city, it is quite easy to jump from one location to the next in a short period of time, ticking off a lot of locations!
Where are the best photo locations?
So where are the best landscape photography locations in and around Bristol? Here is my comprehensive list for the local area.
Before I begin, I need to add a note that there are a number of repeated target locations here – for example, the best views of Clifton Suspension Bridge can be found at varying spots across the city, each with their own value and best time of day/year. It is the most famous part of the Bristol landscape – on a drive or visit to the centre of the city it is practically impossible to avoid catching sight of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s eye-catching bridge.
- Cumberland Basin. Sat Nav – BS1 6XN. Time – sunrise / sunset / night. This is a fantastic spot to photograph the bridge when there is a high tide – getting the mirror bridge combination… There are actually 3 great spots here – the first just below the off ramp from the flyover, the second on the far side of the river looking back across the Basin, and the third on the island at the far front, for the close-up view. Timing-wise, the location lends itself best to sunset, as the clouds and sky behind the bridge from this angle will light up as the end of the day approaches. However, it works very well for sunrise too – quite often I have found a thin bank of mist lying across the river – and if you go during the Spring / Summer months, it is prime territory for a flotilla of balloons to drift by above. Keep your eyes on the tide times for Cumberland Basin – high tide here can be spectacular for photography – at any hour. Night photography works brilliantly – especially with light trails from the traffic on Portway over on the far side.
- Clifton Observatory. Sat Nav – BS8 3NB. Time – sunrise / sunset / night. This is the classic bridge view. Parking in Clifton can be tricky during normal daytime hours – however a benefit of being a sunrise photographer is that nobody sane will be up at that time – so plenty of parking spaces to be had. Park down by Engineers House – you can then follow the path up to the Observatory. The view is pretty spectacular, overlooking the Avon Gorge, with the bridge lying ahead of you with the West of the city sitting behind it. From here you can see all across the city and over to Dundry (the church sitting at the highest point in the distance). There are plenty of great spots for the camera along the fence here – so take a wander all the way along and then down towards the bridge itself. This is also the classic spot for the Balloon Fiesta – on a mass launch you will have to get here super early to get a spot at the front. Sunrise is way off to the left of here, so if you want to have any sun in shot, you will need to head down to the bridge and cross over to the other side. Around the Summer Solstice, the sun actually rises in line with the towers – be sure to set your alarm early to watch this spectacle (so far not many have been as crazy as me for getting this…).
- Clifton Downs – Sea Walls. Sat Nav – BS9 1PG. Time – sunrise. This is a brilliant spot for the long view. At sunrise, the right tower of the bridge will light up, for an almost metallic reflection of gold! It’s a superb spot if the mist lies in the Gorge. Use a long focal length here to zoom right in, or alternatively shoot wide to capture the sweep of Portway, running towards the bridge.
- Clifton Promenade. Sat Nav – BS8 3NB. Time – sunrise / sunset. This is the best spot in the city for Autumn, as the tree lined promenade transforms into magical shades of gold. Use a longer focal length here to compress the view. If it’s misty, you may strike gold and get beams of light cutting across the view.
- Dundry. Sat Nav – BS41 8LQ. Time – sunrise / sunset. Dundry is the highest spot around Bristol, so from here you will get a great view. If you have a telephoto lens, this is an amazing spot for capturing the city. From here, you will be able to photograph the Balloon Fiesta, watching them glide past the Suspension Bridge. You can also see all the way to both Severn bridges, and Wales and the Brecons (on a clear day) beyond that.
- Maes Knoll. Sat Nav – BS39 4EY. Time – sunrise / sunset. Along the other end from Dundry lies Bristol’s best kept secret. The views from here, are in my opinion better than Dundry. Not only can you photograph the bridge (again with a long focal length), but you can see more of the city, and on the opposite side, where the sun rises, you are able to capture the rolling hills of north Somerset. On that side, it can often become a mist trap. Be warned – the road is in appalling condition, so you have to park down in Whitchurch and walk up.
- SS Great Britain. Sat Nav – BS1 6TY. Time – sunrise. Bristol’s other famous Brunel creation. The best spot to photograph this from is actually along Hotwell’s Road, on the opposite side of the river – you can capture the sun rising behind it. If you want to take a tour however (it’s well worth it), there’s parking right by the boat. There is a special view, higher up, above Hotwell’s Road, however this is a closely guarded secret, particularly as you are in a residential area. So I won’t be adding that.
- The Cottage puddle. Sat Nav – BS1 6XH. Time – sunrise, sunset. That’s right. A puddle. But not any ordinary puddle – a gigantic puddle, with a reflection that photographers dream of… The Cottage is a lovely pub on the side of the river, and if you are lucky you (and you’re willing to risk a soggy camera), you can capture the coloured houses of Cliftonwood reflecting in the gigantic puddle.
- Underfall Yard. Sat Nav – BS1 6XH. Time – sunset. Turn to your left from the cottage, and you can capture the working boatyard. There are plenty of interesting angles to be had here.
- Baltic Wharf. Sat Nav – BS1 6XH. Time – sunrise. Walk along from the Cottage pub, and there are plenty of photographic opportunities – Autumnal leaves, golden sunlight bouncing off the opposite side, rowers paddling through a mirror-like water… the list is endless.
- M Shed. Sat Nav – BS1 6UP. Time – sunrise, sunset. There are loads of fantastic photo opportunities along here with the cranes – watch out for mega puddles for some excellent reflections.
- Brunel’s Buttery jetty. Sat Nav – BS1 6UP. Time – sunrise. The jetty just by this spot is incredible for sunrise – try using a tripod for some pre-dawn long exposures. Sunrise mid-Summer will see the sun rise to the left of the cranes.
- Lloyd’s Amphitheatre. Sat Nav – BS1 6UP. Time – sunrise, sunset. Use a wide angle lens here, there are lots of interesting angles.
- Prince Street Bridge. Sat Nav – BS1 4RH. Time – sunrise, sunset. This is a great spot. Face St Mary Redcliffe for incredible sunrises with the coloured houses of Redcliffe Parade on the right. Turn the opposite way, for sunset photos – there are some steps down to the water – use a tripod here for some excellent long exposures.
- St Mary Redcliffe. Sat Nav – BS1 6AL. Time – sunrise. There are lots of great angles of this beautiful church. Elizabeth I described it as “the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England.” Take a wide angle lens when you venture inside, and go in the late afternoon, to catch the light shining through the stained glass windows, reflecting off the bronze markings on the floor.
- Park Street and College Green. Sat Nav – BS1 5UU. Time – sunrise, sunset. There is always something go on here – whether it’s a protest forming on College Green (great if you’re a street photographer), or the twinkling of Christmas decorations running up Park Street, with shoppers clambering up the steep slope of Park Street. This is one of the best spots to come to when it’s raining at night – the colourful reflections can be incredible.
- Cabot Tower and Brandon Hill. Sat Nav – BS1 5UU (it’s just a short uphill walk from there). Time – sunrise, sunset. Brandon Hill is a classic Bristol spot for Autumn and Winter months, especially as the trees start to change colour. Cabot Tower can be seen from pretty much everywhere across Bristol – it’s an iconic part of the landscape. There are so many different angles here to be found along the winding paths, and make sure you try getting a reflection as well, from the ponds just beneath the tower itself.
- Royal Fort Garden. Sat Nav – BS8 1UH. Time – any, especially dusk… Part of the university campus, but open to the public, this is a beautiful spot. Make sure to wander the mirror maze – which offers a great photographic juxtaposition against the building behind. Keep your eyes peeled at dusk for the family of foxes which call the gardens their home…
- Christmas Steps. Sat Nav – BS1 5AZ. Time – night, preferably when snowing! Christmas Steps is one of the most picturesque spots in the city, and looks like a scene from Harry Potter. It’s great during the evening, especially during the festive season when the Christmas lights line the path to the bottom.
- Pero’s Bridge. Sat Nav – BS1 5UH. Time – any, better at night though. Named in honour of a slave who arrived in Bristol during the 18th century, this is an unusual and eye-catching location. Great for people photography, but also good for long exposures, particularly with the colourful fairground and bustling restaurant backdrop.
- Millennium Square. Sat Nav – BS1 5TY. There’s so much to see here – from the We The Curious Planetarium globe, reflecting in the water, or the ferris wheel, hustle and bustle of the day and night life, and much more. It’s great at any time of day.
- Hippodrome. Whilst it’s a great spot for street photography during the day, it comes into its own at night – take a nifty-fifty lens and grab some night street shots – or better still, bring your tripod and grab reflections and traffic trails in front of the glowing neon signs dotted around, including the bright lights of the Hippodrome.
- Leonard Lane. This is one for the street photographer. Like a secret alleyway, dotted with graffiti, and impossibly narrow!
- Church of St John’s the Baptist. Another great option for daytime and night photography (as buses zoom by).
- Nelson Street. Loads of interesting
- Castle Park
- Temple Meads
- Royal York Crescent
- St Nicks Market
- Valentine Bridge
- North Street
- Stokes Croft
- Totterdown
- Victoria Park
- Perrett’s Park
- Northern Slopes
- Troopers Hill
- Arnos Vale Cemetery
- Arnos Court Park
- St George – railway bridge
- Stoke Park
- Purdown Tower
- Eastville Park
- Ashton Court
- Leigh Woods
- Tyntesfield
- Blaise Castle
- Blaise Hamlet
- Portbury
- Severn Beach
- Clevedon
- Black Nore Lighthouse
- Portishead Marina
- Chew Valley Lake.
- Blagdon Lake.
