West Stoughton

Old City Gaol

Wapping Wharf · 18 miles

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

Mayflower

Wapping Wharf · 18 miles

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

Pyronaut

Wapping Wharf · 18 miles

Pyronaut is the Ex Bristol Fire Boat.

M Shed

Wapping Wharf · 18 miles

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

John King

Wapping Wharf · 18 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.

Leigh Woods

Sneyd Park · 18 miles

Leigh Woods occupies a two-square-kilometre ridge on the south-west side of the Avon Gorge, directly opposite the city of Bristol and close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The reserve lies within North Somerset, with the suburb of Sneyd Park the nearest settlement, and forms part of the Avon Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest. Within its boundaries the Iron Age hill-fort known as Stokeleigh Camp sits on a promontory overlooking Nightingale Valley, while the banks of the Avon contain derelict limestone and celestine quarries that were worked in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The landscape is characterised by limestone, occasional sandstone, and a series of dry valleys, the most notable being Nightingale Valley at the southern end. The Monarch’s Way long-distance footpath traverses the woods, offering walkers routes that link Clifton to Clevedon along the ridge. The woodland is managed jointly by the National Trust and Forestry England; a portion was donated to the Trust in 1909 by George Alfred Wills to prevent urban development, and the remainder was acquired by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1974 before passing to Forestry England. Botanical interest includes a variety of native and imported Sorbus species, Bristol rockcress flowering in April, and orchids together with western spiked speedwell during June and July. Historical features such as the hill-fort, the quarries and the restored arboretre at Paradise Bottom add depth to the natural setting. Public access is provided via the footpaths, and the proximity to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the suburb of Leigh Woods makes the reserve readily reachable for visitors exploring the Avon Gorge area.