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Gorge
Avon Gorge
Limestone gorge 1.5 miles long, running south to north west of the city centre, with Clifton on the east side.
A mini guide to
Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods & Ashton Court
Woods, hillforts and parkland either side of the gorge, with Hotwells at its foot
Photos
1 / 6Welcome to the area
Woods, hillforts and parkland either side of the gorge, with Hotwells at its foot
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile limestone gorge about 1.5 miles west of the city centre. Clifton and the Downs lie on its east side and Leigh Woods on the west, and the boundary between Bristol and North Somerset runs along its south bank. The Clifton Suspension Bridge spans it, and the free visitor centre is on the Leigh Woods side. Stokeleigh Camp, an Iron Age hillfort, is in the woods.
At the foot of the gorge, Hotwells and the Cumberland Basin form the main entrance to the Floating Harbour, with Underfall Yard and a hotspot for street art nearby. South-west of the bridge, Ashton Court is a country park and mansion with 850 acres of woodland and grassland, owned by the City of Bristol. Bath, 11 minutes from Temple Meads by the fastest GWR train, has its own guide on this site.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Woodland
Leigh Woods
Woodland of about 2 square kilometres on the south-west side of the gorge, in North Somerset, looked after by the National Trust.
Iron Age hillfort
Stokeleigh Camp
Iron Age promontory fort in Leigh Woods, one of three fortifications overlooking the Avon Gorge.
Museum
Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre
Free visitor centre on the Leigh Woods side of the bridge, with displays on how it was built and is maintained.
Directions Website Report a problem with Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre
Historic house
Ashton Court Mansion
Grade I listed mansion and stables on a manor house site dating from the 11th century, owned by the Smyth family until the 20th.
Country park
Ashton Court Estate
Country park of 850 acres of woodland and grassland, mainly in North Somerset but owned by the City of Bristol.
Directions Website Report a problem with Ashton Court Estate
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods & Ashton Court and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Cross the bridge to Leigh Woods
The bridge trust says the bridge is open 24 hours a day, crossing is free for pedestrians and cyclists, and the visitor centre on the Leigh Woods side is free.
2
Respect the roped areas
Bristol City Council says a temporary conservation zone is roped off on the Ashton Court plateau every summer to protect wildflowers and ground-nesting birds. Keep out and keep dogs on a short lead.
3
Pay for parking
The council lists parking charges at Ashton Court from 8am until the estate closes. Blue Badge holders, motorcycles and scooters are free.
4
Walk the Cumberland Basin
Visit Bristol names the basin as a hotspot for street art. It is also the main tidal entrance to the Floating Harbour.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods & Ashton Court
Bristol
More areas to explore
7 sights · 14 places to eat
Whiteladies Road & Redland
Georgian chapel, village greens and a long street of cafés and restaurants, a mile north-west of the centre
Open the mini guide →
6 sights · 13 places to eat
Gloucester Road & Bishopston
A long street of independent shops, bars and cafés, with city parks and a city farm nearby
Open the mini guide →
12 sights · 20 places to eat
Harbourside & Millennium Square
Museums, galleries and waterside dining around the Floating Harbour
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods & Ashton Court (area photo): Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Avon Gorge: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Leigh Woods: Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stokeleigh Camp: ChodHound, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre: Roger Cornfoot, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ashton Court Mansion: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ashton Court Estate: C P Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ashton Court Miniature Railway: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cumberland Basin: DS Pugh, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Underfall Yard: Philippa Crabbe from Bristol, England, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hotwells: Gothick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dowry Square: No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Butterfly Junction: Anthony O'Neil, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Whiteladies Road & Redland: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Gloucester Road & Bishopston: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Harbourside & Millennium Square: Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Old City, King Street & Park Street: Hyspaosines, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Clifton & the Suspension Bridge: Anthony O'Neil, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stokes Croft, St Pauls & Montpelier: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Redcliffe, Temple Meads & Bedminster: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits