Clifton’s hidden gems: We’d like to hear your best kept secrets

Despite the pouring rain there are still several weeks of

summer left to unfold in front of us and as people return to Clifton from

foreign hols they may be looking for something to do closer to home.

There are all the obvious things to do like Bristol

Zoo Gardens, the Lido,

the Museum

and Art Gallery, the Suspension Bridge and picnicking on the Downs. The Clifton People What's On guide also has lots more ideas.

But here we have compiled a fairly random list of things to

do over the summer in the BS8 area that you might not have thought about. We are

also looking for your suggestions, to reveal some hidden gems in the area and

let people know your favourite places.

1.      

The Cori

Tap Festival takes place this weekend, providing much-needed refreshment

for anybody who has been tackling the balloon fiesta.  On Saturday and Sunday there will be a range

of ciders to try, including five new ones, live music, a hog roast, a marquee

and much more besides. Clifton’s finest cider house, in Sion Place, is looking forward to a

busy Corifest this year.

2.      

Clifton’s most obvious attraction is of course

the Suspension Bridge, but while many of us have passed over it or under it

many times, have you ever popped into the visitor

centre or taken a tour to learn much more about the history of this famous

bridge. Always worth a visit.

3.      

Boyces Avenue in Clifton is a hive of artistic,

culinary and shopping activity and could possibly be Clifton’s best kept

secret. Not only is there the Innocent

Fine Art gallery which has staged some major exhibitions of late (including

a collection by Sir Peter Blake), but Soma

is opening a new gallery a few doors down opposite the Primrose

Cafe. After a bit of perusing around the galleries the Albion pub is ideal for lunch or

dinner, as is the aforementioned Primrose Cafe, or pick up something very tasty

from the Arch

House Deli.

4.      

If you are in the Boyces Avenue area and fancy a

bit of antiques shopping then the Clifton

Arcade is an absolute must. Tucked away behind the shops on Regent Street

with its entrance at the end of Boyces, it’s easy to miss if you don’t know

it’s there. But it is full of treasures including Jan

Morrison antiques, Soma gallery, Bees

& Graves jewellery and watches, and for the crafty among us Woolly

Thinking which sells materials for knitting. Another suggestion has come

from Clifton People Twitter follower @rhianonwest who suggested Focus

on the Past, the antiques shop on Waterloo Street where it feels like you

really could find some hidden treasure.

5.      

The University

of Bristol’s Botanic

Gardens is one of the true hidden gems and has been created within the

grounds of The Holmes at Stoke Bishop, just off Durdham Down. Planting

commenced in 2005 and further planting is transforming the site. The 1.77

hectare garden, which opened in March 2006, focuses on four themed plant

collections: (i) Plant Evolution, (ii) Plants of Mediterranean Climate Regions,

(iii) Useful Plants, and (iv) Local Flora and Rare Native Plants. Go wild in

the country, in the city.

6.      

Fancy a spot of tennis? Clifton

Lawn Tennis club is a grassy oasis tucked away behind high stone walls in the middle of Clifton, just off Pembroke

Road, offering fantastic facilities to members. It may be time to join up and

encourage the next Tiger Tim.

7.      

There are plenty of places to enjoy a walk in

the area, and just strolling through the elegant Georgian streets is great fun

on a sunny evening, but another Twitter follower, @wgoodchildmusic suggested

the Birdcage Walk, which is one of my personal favourite places to walk any

time of year. It runs just off Queens Road near Victoria Square and takes you

into Regents Street, which is a great short cut if you need to get from the Clifton

Wine Bar to Pizza

Provencale, or vice versa.

8.      

There are so many great pubs to choose from in

Clifton which probably makes it unfair to pick one out above all, but I have to

say the Alma

Tavern on Alma Vale Road has long been one of my favourites. Many happy

evening I’ve enjoyed in there down the years, but the reason it’s on the list

is because it’s the only pub in Clifton, and possibly Bristol, to maintain a

lively little theatre upstairs. As a result you can often bump into some well

known actors in the bar waiting to go upstairs to catch some theatre. The bloke

who plays Charlie Fairhead in Casualty for one.

9.      

Redwood

Hotel and Country Club is just over the suspension bridge in Failand but is

a great little getaway if you can offload the kids for a few hours or a day of

indulgence. You can either enjoy a healthy workout, or a bit of pampering and

sauna treatment before dining in the restaurant and imagine you are far away.

10.  

Finally, if you are looking for a night at the

theatre the Redgrave

Theatre (set up by Clifton

College and named after Old Cliftonian Sir Michael Redgrave) seats 320 and

hosts more than 40 productions a year. Arguably some of the best of Bristol's

amateur and semi-professional theatre is staged here, and it is also home to

the majority of performances for Bristol

Old Vic Theatre School.

So, these are just a few ideas to off the top of our heads,

we’d love to hear some of yours.