Clifton Observatory

The Clifton observatory cafe, used to be a Historic windmill, circa 1766, ..it offers fantastic views of the woods here and also Clifton Suspension bridge. I ordered a mulled wine and my husband had a glass of red wine. The preservation was done extremely well.

Well this was random! I was up in Bristol to see my little sis and asked to see the real Bristol, little did i know what was in store for me.

After a nice walk through Clifton and up some very steep hills (not used to the incline living in Manchester) we came upon the Clifton Observatory which boasts great views of the Clifton Suspension bridge although we only got to see half due to the maintenance works.

The Clifton observatory has the feel of the apprentice loser's cafe when you walk in. There's some printed out price list stuck above a counter with blutack that's housing the most unenthusiastic ticket women I've ever seen. Not sure what to expect we handed over our £2.50 and she replied "Hold the rail".

We carried on past and came upon a tunnel with a rusty handrail. Down the tunnel we went, it was all quite exciting, I had no idea what was at the end and the complete lack of safety was all kind of refreshing, a cramped cave without even a mind your head sign in sight.

After around 3-5 minutes, pretty sure cave time travels slower, we came out of the cave into some kind of cliff face clearing.

Here you have a view of the of Clifton bridge but from around half way down the cliff. There is a large railing to stop anyone falling off and the railing extends out on the floor. Like a glass floor you can see down through the metal floor. This was all quite exciting for around 5 minutes, we took some pictures, did a quick jump to see just how safe it was then I guess it was time to head back.

All I can say is random; there isn't even a sign at any point explaining why the cave / tunnel is there?

Was it worth £2.50 - Flat out Yes!

Is the tunnel two-way friendly? - No :D

A nice little tourist thing to do for less than a fiver! We chose to go down the cave. After getting a brief introduction to the rules by the ticket office lady (no jumping on platform, max 8 persons on platform, no graffiti and hold on to hand rails and mind heads when going down), we wandered through the underground path to the opening of the cave on the cliff side and a view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It was all over pretty quickly as there's not much to see but well worth going!

Up on the downs (that's a good Bristol phrase) you'll find these two tourist attractions. Priced very reasonably they offer a quick family friendly distraction.

'What's a camera obscura?' I hear you ask. Well, imagine a tower with a perescope type object projecting an image of the surrounding area on to a large metal dish, and you have something of an idea. 'What's the point of that?' I now hear you ask. I'm not sure to be honest, but it's a lot of fun to twist the perescope (I'm sure that not what it's supposed to be called) and see if you can find someone scratching their bum. Not as stalkerish as it sounds.

If that doesn't sound like fun to you then you can down instead of up into a small cave beneath the tower. After a few flights of steps and squeezing through gaps you will come out at an opening about half way down Avon Gorge cliff face. The view is breathtaking, and you can watch climbers work their way past you on their way to the top.

This was a unexpected surprise and I used to live 15 mins away from Bristol until 6 years ago! And I never knew about this place at all!

It was all pretty random, we walked up to the top of the hill and looked at the beautiful Clifton suspension bridge- great but why we here Meg? (James G's sister).

We walked into the strange office place, which really didn't look like anything, but we gave in our £2.00 and carried on in...

Down (what felt like) a million steps deep into the earth... the steps are very narrow and the ceiling is low in places. These steps are carved into the stones and are sometimes difficult to stand on, so wear sensible shoes and hang on to your kids!

At last we reached the bottom, which was light? Not what we expected at all!

Walking out onto a yellow cage which juts out from the side of the cliff itself!

Now if you're not great with heights perhaps this isn't for you, but the view of the bridge, road and river is amazing and great for a picture opportunity.

This is great for anyone visiting Bristol who wants to learn a little bit more about the history and to fill in a lovely morning :)

There's a lovely park to walk around also and great cafés and deli's close by for a snack.

Choose a bright day to visit the Clifton Observatory because that's when you get the best views through its old-fashioned camera obscura.

Located above the River Avon, you can reach the Observatory by following the pathway near the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Built in 1766, it was originally a windmill for corn but was later used to grind snuff. In 1777, a fire destroyed the mill's machinery and it lay disused until artist William West rented it as a studio. He installed telescopes and the camera obscura that is still housed there today.

You pay a small entrance fee, climb a spiral staircase to the top of the building, close the doors, and wait for a minute while your eyes get accustomed to the dark. You can then hold the handle of the camera obscura to see a fantastic 360 degree view of the area, including Clifton Downs and the Suspension Bridge.

Remember, though, that the results are far better on a bright day! Oh, and while you're there, don't forget to have a go on the 'rock slide' next to the Observatory -it's steep and shiny with the thousands of backsides that must have polished it over the years! Great fun.

The old tower used to be a Mill, in the 1700's until it fell foul of a fire. After that it was derelict until William Nest, an artist, rented it as a studio. After that it became an observation tower.

A good inexpensive hour for a summer pm if you are twiddling your thumbs.

There is something very imposing about the observation tower. I like to think of ti as a an observation tower for pirates... on there way to ransack Bristol. See, great for kids.

The Clifton Observatory is an interesting and unusual place to visit.
Situated near Clifton Suspension bridge, the observatory and the local caves are both attractions you can visit for a small fee of £2.00 or £1.00 for children.

The Observatory contains a camera obscura which you can use to view the area. The camera obscura was installed in the observatory in 1829. The camera casts views of the Clifton Suspension bridge onto a round viewing table, it has a mirror which you can turn round by hand to change the direction of view.

I have not visited the caves but I believe they end at a viewing platform looking out over Clifton Gorge.

Two cheap though slightly pointless tourist attractions. However, as Sundays are all about wasting your time, the Sabbath is a great day to check out these two cheap oddities, combined with a stroll across the Downs.

The observatory is like legalised stalking, as you really can see for miles across Bristol using this archaic 'technology'. As it's positioned on the Downs near the Suspension Bridge, you can see in great detail what's going on over at Ashton Court. The caves, meanwhile, offer unique views over the gorge, though if you're claustrophobic or scared of heights, you may want to give it a miss.

The Camera Obscura is located at the top of Clifton, overlooking the suspension bridge. It's a little tourist attraction that allows you to see the surrounding area of Clifton through the old style Camera Obscura - which projects the real-time image of the area it is directed at.

If you are interested in exploring Bristol, or just want something a bit different to do, then I would say this is worth a visit. It only takes up about half an hour of your time, and you can leave as and when you like - but there is only so long you can look at a projection in a dark room!

The prices vary but as standard you are asked to contribute £2 each, which is fair enough as it goes towards helping for its maintenance. Clifton is a beautiful area of Bristol, and if you have spare time then why not pay it a visit - its location, being the highest point of Bristol, also offers beautiful surrounding views. There is also always an ice-cream van nearby in the summer months which is an added bonus!