Our time in Bristol was rapidly coming to a close. On our last day, Josh and I decided to hit a few more sights in this marvelous town.
The first stop was the Bristol City Museum. The museum was founded in 1823, and has an amazing collection of natural history, archaeology and art. Just like the city, it is a mixure of old and new. Many of the biological and paleontological specimens are displayed in Victorian (turn of the century) Museum Cabinets.
A couple notable specimens include the extinct Dodo and a mounted Thylacine (Tasmanian wolf), which went extinct in the 1930′s. Other displays, like their Egyptian Exhibits, are very modern and interactive. The Museum has a large collection of Egyptian artifacts, including many sarcophagi.
Josh and the Plateosaurus
Of course, Josh and I were very interested in their dinosaur material. The museum has a mounted Plateosaurus, which is a type of prosauropod (this group is thought to be the ancestors of the large sauropods like Apatosaurus), an early Jurassic armored dinosaur called Scelidosaurus and some other isolated material.
After a few hours in the museum, our walking tour continued, and we headed to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This engineering marvel is over 1300 feet long, and covers the width of the Avon River. Although it was built in stages, the final bridge was completed in 1864 and is a well-known tourist desination for those who come to Bristol.
The last stop was the S.S. Great Britain. The ship was designed by the same man who designed the suspension bridge.
After an awesome day of seeing the rest of Bristol, Josh and I returned to the hotel to get ready for our next trip. We are heading back to London before our flight home.
We hate to leave this town, as we have found in such a short time, is full of history, character and good times.
Cheerio, Bristol…thank you for a wonderful time!
Scott
The S.S. Great Britain
The Great Britain was largest steamship of its time, and combined a propeller drive and iron hull. It was launched in 1843, and saw many years of service. At 322 feet in length, 3700 tons, and a passenger capacity of over 500, for many years it was the largest passenger ship. The S.S. Great Britain returned to Bristol in 1970, placed in drydock and has become a huge tourist spot, hosting over 170,000 visitors a year!
The Clifton Suspension Bridge
After an awesome day of seeing the rest of Bristol, Josh and I returned to the hotel to get ready for our next trip. We’re headed back to London before our flight home.
We hate to leave this town, as we have found in such a short time, is full of history, character and good times.
Cheerio Bristol…..thank you for a wonderful time!
Cheers,
Scott
Themocracy