Town or city· Postcode BS4
Brislington
Bristol, South West · population 11,511 · Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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90 places within 15 miles
Days out & attractions in Brislington
Days out around Brislington – castles, lakes, hills, nature reserves and more, including 5 in Brislington itself. Each comes with a description, photo, address and map where available.
Days out
🏰 Castles & stately homes
Black Castle
Paintworks · 0.6 miles
A striking example of 18th-century Gothic Revival stands on Junction Road in Bristol’s Brislington suburb. Known locally as the Black Castle and also recorded as Arno’s Castle, the building holds a Grade I listing and currently operates as a public house under the Flaming Grill Pub Co. The nearest settlement identified on mapping data is Paintworks, placing the site within easy reach of the surrounding residential area. Constructed between 1745 and 55, the structure was intended as a folly but may have originally served as a stable block and laundry for the lord of the manor. Design is attributed to either William Halfpenny or James Bridges and was commissioned by factory owner William Reeve, who supplied the black copper-slag blocks from his Bristol Brass Company foundry. The façade displays symmetrical square-courtyard planning, crenellated circular corner towers and moulded two-centred archways, while decorative white flush-work panels and Y-tracery windows add Gothic detail. A coach house extends from the right-hand tower, echoing the main building’s arch motifs. Contemporary commentary from Horace Walpole in 1766 described the edifice as “coal black, and striped with white,” initially mistaking it for a “devil’s cathedral.” Reuse of freestone carving from demolished medieval gateways and St Werburgh’s Church links the castle to earlier Bristol architecture, and a 1912 relocation moved the former Arno’s Court Triumphal Arch a short distance away. Visitors can reach the Black Castle via Junction Road, with the public house offering the usual amenities of a licensed establishment. As a listed historic feature, the building remains under the care of Historic England, ensuring its preservation for future observation.
Bloomfield Road Link, Bristol BS4 3BD
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🏞️ Lakes & lochs
Days out
⛰️ Hills & peaks
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🌿 Nature reserves
Days out
🌳 Parks & gardens
Conham River Park
Broomhill · 1.2 miles
Local government-owned woodland reserve & a stone riverside footpath with picnic benches.
24/7
Days out
🏊 Lidos & swimming pools
Days out
🗿 Monuments & memorials
Days out
🏺 Archaeological sites
Temple Church
Temple Quarter · 1.9 miles
The ruined remains of Temple Church, also recorded as Holy Cross Church, lie in the Redcliffe area of Bristol near the district known as Temple Quarter. The site originally hosted a round-nave preceptory built by the Knights Templar after Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, granted the land in the early-mid-12th century. Following the suppression of the Templars, the Knights Hospitaller took control in 1313 and, by the early 14th century, the building was serving the parish of Temple Fee. Reconstruction on a rectangular plan began around that time and was finished by 1460, when a leaning west tower was added. Ownership passed to the Crown during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1540, and the church later became part of the Bristol Corporation’s holdings. Bombing during the Bristol Blitz of 24/25 November 1940 left the structure an empty shell; most of the arcades were removed as unsafe, though several fittings survived elsewhere in the city. The building is now a Grade II* listed structure and a scheduled monument, owned by the Diocese of Bristol and placed under English Heritage guardianship in 1958. Excavations in 1960 revealed the outline of the original 12th-century church, which has been marked on the ground in stone. A major conservation project between 2021 and 2023 restored the site, allowing public access for the first time in over three decades. As an archaeological site, it offers insight into medieval monastic architecture, the legal privileges of the Templar estate, and the later Perpendicular alterations that shaped its present form.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🖼️ Galleries
Days out
📸 Landmarks & sights
Days out
🕳️ Caves
Days out
🛝 Playgrounds
Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Distances are as the crow flies from Brislington.
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News, events, offers and more – all from Brislington and the surrounding area.
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Seen locally on exactly this page – fairly priced, with no wasted reach.