By Laura, MSc Science Communication student
MSc Science Communication student, Laura, shares what she loves about living in Bristol.
“During my six years studying in Bristol, I’ve got to know the area well and I’d love to tell you about some of my favourite parts of the city.
A city full of green spaces
Firstly, Bristol has loads of green spaces. My top three are Stoke Park, Blaise Castle Estate, and Ashton Court Estate. Stoke Park is full of woodlands and green fields. I regularly go foraging in the woodlands for plants such as wild garlic as it’s a great topping for nachos (top tip: when foraging only take what you need).
In the summer, Stoke Park is a beautiful place for a picnic where you can enjoy wonderful views while soaking up the sun. Plus, there’s an area in the park where goats roam, and if you’re lucky they’ll come and say hello so you can get your animal fix.
Blaise Castle Estate is a little further than Stoke Park from Frenchay Campus, but it’s worth the journey. The castle sits in the gardens on top of a hill surrounded by woodland, and my favourite spot – an out crop that overlooks a valley – is near here. I’ve spent many evenings watching the sky change from blue to red as the sun sets. It’s a very calming place to go whenever you need some time out.
Ashton Court is in the south of Bristol, and I love visiting during spring to watch the deer as they shed their antlers. There’s also a lovely café there selling cakes and sandwiches, which always go down nicely after a walk.
A cycling city
As well as having plenty of green spaces, Bristol also has lots of cycle lanes and paths so it’s easy to get around in a cheap and environmentally friendly way. The Strawberry line is one of my favourite cycle paths. It’s an old railway line that runs for 9 miles. I cycled along it with a friend, on our way to Cheddar Gorge, and it felt like we were cycling through another world as we passed lots of flowers, birds, and butterflies on both sides of the track.
Fun outdoor activities
About a 30-minute drive from Bristol city centre is Clevedon tidal pool, which is a free outdoor swimming pool overlooking the sea. One cold February day, I even plucked up the courage to have a plunge in the tidal pool with a friend. It was freezing cold, so we were only in the water for a few minutes, but it was such good fun – and it was amazing to look out into the sea as we were swimming.
Independent shopping
Finally, Gloucester Road is one of my favourite roads ever. You could go for ten days out on Gloucester Road and each of them would be different. It’s known for being one of the biggest independent high streets in Europe – it’s full of quirky cafés, pubs, charity shops and many other independent businesses.
My favourite Gloucester Road day out is a charity shop crawl. For this, I need to keep a whole day free as there are at least fifteen charity shops. The shops all have different vibes too so there are loads of different treasures to be found. There’s everything from high-end charity shops which are great for brands, to budget shops where you’ll find plenty of bargains.
This blog only really scratches the surface of the adventures you can have in Bristol, but I hope that I’ve given you a good idea of what it’s like to be a student in such a unique city.”