Discover Bristol

Exploring Bristol: Gloucester Road

By FrenchayRAs 17 May 2021

Hi, I’m Ella! and I’m in my second year at UWE, studying BA Philosophy.

After moving out of halls last year, I’ve been living off-campus on Gloucester Road which is one of the main student areas in Bristol. As a student, Gloucester Road is a great place to live and it’s also a great place to visit if you’ve got a spare day on the weekend because there’s so much to do!

To-Do...

Gloucester Road (and Stokes Croft) is probably best known for being Bristol’s Independent District. It is the go-to place to support local business in Bristol. This means there’s loads of things places to shop and things to do all in one place.

Pottery Painting

Try your hand at some pottery painting at Kiln. They also have BYOB pottery painting events that are super fun to do with a group of friends.

Shopping

There are loads of Charity shops and Vintage shops dotted all the way down Gloucester Road. Perfect for finding that one-off piece that no one else will have. Try out RePsycho at 85 Gloucester Road or Fabulous Vintage at 188 Cheltenham Road.

Another favourite shop of mine is Wild Leaf. It's a tiny little shop bursting to the seams with all kinds of plants. Definitely worth checking out even for a bit of window shopping. The staff are lovely in there and are always happy to help you with any plant queries.

To See

Gloucester Road is a hotspot for detailed and brightly coloured Street Art that would make for a perfect Instagram. And of course make sure that you catch sight of the Banksy piece that is on the wall by the Canteen Café and Bar at 80 Stokes Croft.

If you fancy a breath of fresh air and a walk, I would highly recommend going to St Andrews park. It's so nice to be surrounded by nature for once when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a busy city. The park is only a 10 minute walk from Gloucester Road, and there are often lots of friendly dogs to say hello to as well!

To Eat

There are some amazing food places all the way down Gloucester Road and into Stokes Croft, Here are a few of my favourites....

Eat a Pitta

This place has the best falafel in the country! Absolutely worth every penny. Just make sure you don't go at lunchtime because they always have a queue out the door.

Find them at: 67A Gloucester Rd

Cafe Kino

This place honestly has the best vegan burgers around. Cafe Kino is also a co-operative, so you know that your money is going towards supporting the community if you eat here.

Find them at: 108 Stokes Croft

The Crafty Egg

This is the perfect place for brunch, or a quiet afternoon doing work. But don't worry! It's not just eggs that they serve, they also have a great vegan menu.

Find them at: 113 Stokes Croft

How to get there!

If you're coming from Frenchay Campus, there are a couple of bus routes that you can take to get to Gloucester Road.

The number 70, 71 and 72 first buses all come down Gloucester Road. Here is a link to the bus times: 70/71 Bus Timetables

On the other hand, if you fancy more of a walk. You could get the m1 or m3 metro buses to Cabot Circus and walk up through Stokes Croft. The walk only takes about 15 minutes and means you won't be on the bus for that long. Here is a link to those bus times: