Hot and Steamy in Bristol

Having spent a long weekend in Bristol we’ve now found a peaceful spot on the River Avon to try out our new boarding ladder. We’ve got it hung over the gunwale (upper side edge of boat) in the bow and it has given us easy access into the river for refreshing cool swims. Quite wonderful after the heatwave last weekend.

It was quite an experience moored on the Arnolfini Wharf pontoon in the Floating Harbour of Bristol. We were right in the city centre, so we got free discos and the usual sounds and smells of city life; coffee, foods and spliffs!

The harbour area has been regenerated over the last couple of decades and is largely residential with bars and restaurants around the wharves. It was completed in 1809 to provide a stable water level for ships to moor whilst they loaded/off-loaded cargo. It diverts the tidal waters from the Avon gorge along the river to above Netham Lock. This does mean that the harbour gets locked down when the tide is up, as the locks and weirs also protect the city centre from flooding especially when it’s a Spring tide.

We had a lovely view of Pero’s bridge, named after a slave (Pero Jones 1753-1798) who was transported from the Caribbean in 1783. The bridge was named in honour of Pero to draw attention to Bristol’s past reliance on the transatlantic slave trade and the city’s challenges in coming to terms with its past. The distinctive horns of the bridge are counterweights for the lifting section, but they’re earned the bridge nick names of Horned or Shrek’s Bridge! The bridge has hundreds of padlocks attached to it. As a sign of affection to each other, couples add names, dates and messages to the “lovelocks” and, after locking them on to the bridge, throw the keys into the harbour. There are so many of them that the council must thin them out to stop the bridge from buckling under the weight!

Being in a city gives an opportunity to restock the boat, but the shops can be a bit of a distance from the waterway. Both Bath and Bristol have electric scooters available for public use. We decided to be brave and get on a scooter for the first time in probably 40+years! I really don’t like going over cobbles with solid tyres – I felt shaken all over! I’m also much happier riding in the cycle lanes than the main roads. But overall, I think we’d recommend the scooters to anyone who knows their highway code. They certainly make travelling easier on a hot sticky day.

As we headed out of Bristol on the last day of this heatwave, the river was crowded with swimmers, paddle boarders and canoeists. Not much fun when you’re trying to steer a 57 foot, 15-ton boat around bends. Thankfully we made it to a quiet spot and plan to spend a few days recovering from all the heat and excitement of city life!