interested in Bristol’s history, a good place to visit would be the Bristol Industrial Museum, which has fascinating exhibitions on the city’s various modes of transportation over the years as well as Bristol’s part in the slave trade. Located at the Princes Wharf, the museum also houses a magnificent collection of steam powered vehicles.
Set amid Georgian architecture, the beautiful Clifton Shopping Arcade is a showcase of local art and crafts.
The awe-inspiring Clifton Suspension Bridge is another imposing example of Bristol’s cultural history. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Bristol’s most famous adopted son. This pioneer of engineering and architecture had many great contributions to the cultural landscape, many of which can still be seen today. Brunel is the same engineer responsible for several tourist sights and monuments around the city centre, including the Great Western Railway that linked Bristol and London in the 1830s and two of the first steamships built in Bristol, the SS Great Western and the SS Great Britain, which can still be viewed at the dry docks. The SS Great Britain has the unique distinction of being the first iron, propeller-driven ship in the world.
Brunel is only one of the many notable Bristolians who have contributed much culture and history of the city and of the world. John Cabot is another such pioneer. In 1497, he sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland on a historic journey. Also known as Giovanni Caboto, this Italian navigator and explorer is credited as one of the first early modern Europeans to discover the North American mainland. Today, many of Bristol’s streets have Newfoundland in their name to commemorate Cabot’s achievement.
Archibald Alec Leach, born