7 Interesting Facts About Bristol: (Updated 2024)

Prachi Gupta

Updated on:

Interesting Facts About Bristol

Interesting Facts About Bristol: Bristol is a popular port city with a rich history and culture. This city offers plenty of things to explore whether it is the coming and going of ships at the harbour, amazing restaurants and shopping centres, when in Bristol you will surely find something for yourself. Independent thinking, edgy creativity, and a rebellious streak are some of the characteristics that make this city stand apart. 

Feeling intrigued about this city? Feed your curiosity by reading some of the interesting about Bristol that we have discussed below. 

Bristol is the Birthplace of JK Rowling 

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JK Rowling was born on July 31, 1965, in Yate Hospital, near Bristol. She became a famous author by writing the world-famous Harry Potter books. Some of the names and locations in these books were influenced by her time living in the West Country. The early years of young Joanne were all about reading books. In an interview, she said, “I lived for books”. Her love for reading and writing can be gauged by the fact that she wrote her first book at the age of 6 and her first novel at 11. 

Drum and Bass Originated in Bristol 

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Bristol is the birthplace of Drum and Bass music. It started to become popular in the 1990s, and some famous artists like Massive Attack, Roni Size, and DJ Krust helped make it big in the city. Even today, Drum and Bass are a big part of Bristol’s culture, and there are lots of parties with this music happening almost every day. Tracing back the history of Drum and Bass, you will realise that during the mid-1990s Bristol’s music landscape was flourishing. 

The city was popular for producing sophisticated electronic music which is why many talented DJs and producers started settling in Bristol. It was that time when some of the most influential Drum and Bass acts emerged. 

Give a breather to yourself by exploring these 5 Weekend Getaways from Brighton!

Bristol Has Its Own Dialect 

You must notice while your stay in student accommodation in Bristol that the way people talk in Bristol is special and different from other places. It’s a bit like the accent in the West Country, but it’s also connected to how people talked a long time ago in England. People in Bristol use some unique phrases like “gurt lush,” which means very good, and “wherezit to?” which means where is it. 

The colloquial term for the British dialect spoken by the people of Bristol is Bristolian or Bristolese. Due to their rhotic accent, the natives of Bristol still pronounce ‘r’ in words like ‘card’ and ‘car’ which has been lost from many other English dialects.

Bristol Was the First Major European City to Elect a Mayor of Black African Heritage 

Bristol is a city with a rich mix of people from different backgrounds. In 2016, Marvin Rees made history by becoming the first mayor of black African heritage in a big European city. His goal is to make the city more fair and include everyone, and that’s one reason why Bristol is known for being forward-thinking today. Due to the COVID pandemic, he served an extended term of 5 years followed by which impressively he was re-elected again as a mayor in May 2016. 

 Curious about the city of Sydney? Check out 75 interesting facts about Sydney That You Might Not Know

Bristol Introduced the Chocolate Easter Eggs to the UK  

Bristol is known for being the first place in the UK to make chocolate Easter eggs. Back in 1873, a chocolate company called Fry’s in Bristol created the first one, and it became a tradition. Another chocolate company, Cadbury’s, saw how popular it was and started making their own, and then it became a tradition all over the country. This is just one of the cool facts about Bristol.

Bungee Jumping Originated in Bristol 

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Bungee jumping is known all around the world now, but it actually started in Bristol. On April 1, 1979, a guy named David Kirke, who was part of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club, was the first one to try it. He jumped off the Clifton Suspension Bridge with a bungee cord tied to him and survived. But, it wasn’t all fun because right after the jump, the police took him away in their car.

Banksy’s Work is Dotted Across the City of Bristol 

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The street art in Bristol is really famous all over the world because of a graffiti artist named Banksy. Banksy started putting up his art around the city back in the 1980s, and some of it is still there today. While staying at student accommodation in United Kingdom, if you look around Bristol and Clifton, you might spot some of Banksy’s artwork.

Are you a bookworm? If the answer is yes, then give a treat to your heart by visiting these 5 amazing bookshops in Manchester!  

FAQs

What are the places worth visiting, which are in close proximity to Bristol? 

Some of the best places to visit from Bristol are – Bath, Salisbury, Malvern, Stonehenge, Brecon Beacons and so many more. 

What are some of the best places to live near Bristol? 

Some of the best places to live near Bristol are – Cheddar, Saltford, Clevedon, Chew Magna, Backwell, Portishead, etc. 

What are Bristol people known as?

Bristol people are known as Bristolians. 

We hope you liked this blog where we covered some of the interesting facts about Bristol. For booking the best accommodation abroad to start your study abroad experience you can contact Fly Homes at 1800572118. 

Related Blogs 
Choosing Your Bristol Bliss: Explore the 7 Best Areas to Live in Bristol 
5 Weekend Getaways From Bristol 
7 Best Bookshops in Bristol 

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About Prachi Gupta

Prachi has 1.5 yrs of experience in Content & Copywriting. Her skills entail SEO, researching, brainstorming marketing campaigns, suggesting content ideas, graphic designing, Keyword research, understanding user intent etc. She thrives on a work culture that helps her unlearn redundant ways of thinking. Besides this, she always has her binoculars on looking for good books and music recommendations, cocktails and world history.

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