Hartcliffe

Hengrove Park

Hengrove · 0.6 miles

Spanning roughly 76 hectares of open land in the Hengrove area of Bristol, the park offers a mixture of recreational and natural spaces. Visitors can explore a large adventure play area, a dedicated skate park and the Hengrove Mounds Local Nature Reserve, which provides a modest habitat for wildlife. Adjacent developments include the South Bristol Community Hospital, Hengrove Park Leisure Centre and the South Bristol Skills Academy, all forming part of the broader South Bristol regeneration programme. The site is managed by Bristol City Council and lies close to the residential district of Hengrove. The ground that now hosts the park was originally farmland before being acquired in 1929 for the municipal Whitchurch Airport, which opened on 31 May 1930. After wartime use by the Air Ministry and BOAC, the airport ceased operations in 1957 and the terminal was demolished, leaving sections of the former tarmac visible within the parkland. The area was officially renamed Hengrove Park in November 1962 to avoid confusion with an active airfield. Subsequent decades saw proposals for housing, a helipad and a motorsport circuit, before the council earmarked the majority of the land for public open space. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the park became a venue for local sports and larger events, reinforcing its role as a community asset within the city’s green network.

Old City Gaol

Wapping Wharf · 2.5 miles

The New Gaol was a prison located in Spike Island, Bristol, England, operational between 1820 and 1883.

M Shed

Wapping Wharf · 3.1 miles

Industrial museum – Museum about Bristol with a collection of historic ships

Mayflower

Wapping Wharf · 3.1 miles

Mayflower is an 1861 steam tug. It is in working condition and operates trips some weekend in the summer

Pyronaut

Wapping Wharf · 3.1 miles

Pyronaut is the Ex Bristol Fire Boat.

John King

Wapping Wharf · 3.1 miles

A diesel-powered tug from the mid-1930s now operates as a floating exhibit in Bristol Harbour, moored beside the M Shed museum on the waterfront. The vessel, known as John King, was constructed by the shipbuilder Charles Hill & Sons Ltd in Bristol and measures 65 ft in length with a 17 ft beam and a depth of 7.1 ft, displacing 49 gross tons. Its official United Kingdom number is 163865, and it is listed as a historic ship on OpenStreetMap, with the nearest landmark identified as Wapping Wharf. Built for the firm C.J. King and Sons Limited, John King entered service after being launched on 21 October 1935 and handed over on 15 November of the same year. The tug initially assisted vessels entering and leaving the City Docks, a role that diminished when commercial traffic shifted to Avonmouth. In 1962 the original Petter engine was replaced by a Lister Blackstone unit. Notable assignments included towing the SS Great Britain from Avonmouth to the City Docks on 6 July 1970 and subsequently moving it into the Great Western Dockyard on 19 July. After a series of ownership changes – becoming Peter Leigh, then Pride, and later Durdham – the tug remained active on the River Severn and in Bristol until the late 1970s. The vessel was acquired by Bristol Museums Galleries & Archives in 1995, restored to its appearance during the C.J. King and Sons period, and returned to the name John King. It now carries visitors on harbour trips alongside the museum’s other historic vessels, Mayflower and Pyronaut, offering a practical insight into Bristol’s maritime heritage. Access to the tug is through the M Shed, which serves as the operating base and visitor centre for the exhibit.