Quirky Bristol

Bristol has been one of England’s largest cities since it became a county in 1373. In the seventeenth century writers described Bristol as ‘a little London for merchants’ and it held its status as a major port from the Middle Ages. Yet despite its mercantile wealth Bristol has been called paradoxical and down the years the quirks have shone through. Not least is why Bristol was ever successful as a port in the first place. Inland on a river with a dangerous bend, it has a tidal rise and fall that is the second greatest of any in the world, which left ships stranded in mud for several hours of the day. In Quirky Bristol author Cynthia Stiles delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Bristol’s past. In this book, readers will find stories of ‘diamonds’ and rare plants found in the Avon Gorge, architectural oddities, early medical practices and practitioners in the city, the nineteenth-century craze of pedestrianism, the famous Bristol Milk and Bristol Cream and much, much more. Quirky Bristol celebrates the unusual and often strange history of the city and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Bristol will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.