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When the breathtaking Everard building was unveiled in 1901, it was such a sensation that people travelled from miles away and flooded Broad Street to see it. Fights broke out as people jostled for a better view and the police had to regulate the street for two days.

This 1982 fountain on Broad Quay is inexplicably a memorial to George V. When it was noted that Bristol had no memorial to the king (who had died nearly 50 years previously) it was hastily cobbled together with remnants from the recently demolished Co-operative Society HQ nearby.

Cameron Balloons in Bedminster is responsible for having manufactured around two thirds of all registered hot air balloons currently in use in the UK. Established in 1971 by Don Cameron it also holds many world records for balloon flight achievements owing to its products.

The Matthew was built as a replica caravel ship to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s 1497 voyage from Bristol to Newfoundland. Very little is known of Cabot’s actual ship and some evidence suggests it may actually have been named Mattea after Cabot’s wife.

In the mid 13th century, the land on which Queen Square now stands was gifted by the town Abbot to the people of Bristol. Known as the Town Marsh, it was used for sport and recreation. Bristolians could also enjoy wholesome pursuits such as watching bear baiting and executions.

Dotted around the multi-storey car park near Cathedral Walk you may notice mini sections of walkways, ladders, doors and railings. “Secret Industry” is a 2006 installation by artist John Pym and is intended to evoke the idea of a tiny, secret city hidden inside our own.

In the folklore tale on the creation of Bristol two giants, Vincent & Goram were challenged by the beautiful maiden Avona to drain a lake which covered the land. Goram tried to dig a gorge near Henbury but fell asleep in what’s now known as Goram’s Chair in Blaise Castle Estate.

This plaque in the pavement, about halfway up Park Street marks part of the route of St John’s Conduit. Built in 1374 it ran water from a spring on Brandon Hill to the Old Town wall. It became the first public water pump within what was then the Bristol town boundary.

Though it’s often assumed that Snuff Mills is so named as it was a mill for snuff powder, the mills were only ever used to make flour. The area takes its name from a former millworker “Snuffy” Jack - famous for being such a heavy user of snuff his jacket was always covered in it.

In 1874 the ship Kron Prinz hit a sandbank at Horseshoe Bend in the Avon and capsized. The bend at Shirehampton is so sharp it has claimed many vessels and limited the size of ships that can be built in Bristol. The Kron Prinz was later refloated but sank in the North Sea in 1899

In September, 1764, Frances Ruscombe and her maid, Mary Sweet were found brutally murdered in a house beside College Green. Their killer was never caught. Read the full, shocking story in WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME - available from the 20th of June, 2025.

For many centuries, the area surrounding St Nicholas Market, Castle Park and Corn Street was a labyrinth of narrow, winding streets. Most of this was lost due to the Blitz and post-war town planning but a small glimpse of it remains in All Saints Court.

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In 1949, a bank robbery in Knowle left 52 year old George Barron Black dead. The biggest clue to the culprit was a mysterious note left at the crime scene. 75 years on, the murder remains unsolved. Read the full story in WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME available from the 20th of June.

This magnificent, gothic structure on the Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire was first erected in Bristol in 1373 at the crossroads of the Old Town. After being moved to College Green in 1733 it was regarded as an unfashionable eyesore and gifted to the Stourhead Estate by the city.

In 1831 a riot erupted in Queen Square which left Bristol in flames and dozens of people dead. It also helped bolster the city’s reputation as a home for radical ideas and revolutionary action. Read the full story in Weird Bristol: True Crime. Available from the 20th of June.

In 1896, Bristol-born Amelia Dyer was found guilty of the murders of six children. It is now believed she may have killed up to 400 infants - making her one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Read the full story in WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME available from 20/06/25.

The Bristol Harbour Hotel and Spa building was originally a bank, which opened in 1857. The incredibly ornate exterior was designed by sculptor John Thomas. The uppermost frieze depicts dozens of babies feverishly engaged in banking processes such as minting coins & book-keeping.