Clifton Observatory, Bristol, Somerset
High up on The Downs in Bristol, Clifton Observatory has the most amazing views over Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge – and that’s from the outside. Just wait till you get inside and go to the top of the museum where there’s a Camera Obscura giving 360 vistas across Bristol and beyond. A Camera Obscura is at its simplest, a dark room with a small hole or lens on one side; an image is projected onto the wall opposite the hole. Think of it as a very early form of the modern camera, or even CCTV, as it captures real time images.
In the museum you can find everything you want to know about Clifton Observatory via the timeline and heaps of history from its origins in 1776. Venture down a 200ft long tunnel and you’ll come to the Giant’s Cave, an atmospheric space that opens onto the cliff face 250ft above the River Avon.
No doubt after all that excitement you’ll be in need of something to eat or drink in which case head to the café; it’s open 7 days a week and has seating indoors or outside on the roof terrace – another fabulous spot for those views. Clifton Observatory can also be booked for private events and weddings, the dramatic backdrop making quite a setting for photographs of the big day.
Attractions open Mon – Sun 10.00am-5.00pm
T: 0117 974 1242 All information correct at the time of writing