Weird Bristol
@weirdbristol.bsky.social
The weird and lesser-known history of Bristol.
You can find my books (including WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME) here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B00HBFSRCU
You can find my books (including WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME) here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B00HBFSRCU
Pinned
Weird Bristol
@weirdbristol.bsky.social
· Jun 20
Delve into the murky world of Bristol’s criminal past with my latest book WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME.
Featuring 100 tales of lawlessness in our city - from scheming charlatans to plundering pirates, from hot-headed robberies to cold-blooded murder…
Available right now!
Link is in my profile.
Featuring 100 tales of lawlessness in our city - from scheming charlatans to plundering pirates, from hot-headed robberies to cold-blooded murder…
Available right now!
Link is in my profile.
This worn and ancient statue at the bottom of Christmas Steps is of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. Legend has it that she was beheaded by Oliver Cromwell himself as a protest against idolatry - although there’s no evidence that this actually happened.
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February 6, 2026 at 8:08 PM
This worn and ancient statue at the bottom of Christmas Steps is of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. Legend has it that she was beheaded by Oliver Cromwell himself as a protest against idolatry - although there’s no evidence that this actually happened.
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In 2005, botanist & poet Libby Houston discovered a new species of tree in the Avon Gorge.
The tree (a hybrid of a common whitebeam and a Bristol whitebeam) was named “Houston’s whitebeam” after its discoverer.
Only a single specimen of this hybrid is known to exist in the world.
The tree (a hybrid of a common whitebeam and a Bristol whitebeam) was named “Houston’s whitebeam” after its discoverer.
Only a single specimen of this hybrid is known to exist in the world.
February 5, 2026 at 8:29 PM
In 2005, botanist & poet Libby Houston discovered a new species of tree in the Avon Gorge.
The tree (a hybrid of a common whitebeam and a Bristol whitebeam) was named “Houston’s whitebeam” after its discoverer.
Only a single specimen of this hybrid is known to exist in the world.
The tree (a hybrid of a common whitebeam and a Bristol whitebeam) was named “Houston’s whitebeam” after its discoverer.
Only a single specimen of this hybrid is known to exist in the world.
My latest book “SUSPENSION” - a murder/mystery thriller set in Bristol will be available in paperback, hardback and ebook from 27/02/26.
March 2020. The pandemic is about to send the world into a state of suspension - and a murderer is poised to stalk the abandoned streets of Bristol…
March 2020. The pandemic is about to send the world into a state of suspension - and a murderer is poised to stalk the abandoned streets of Bristol…
February 5, 2026 at 4:41 PM
My latest book “SUSPENSION” - a murder/mystery thriller set in Bristol will be available in paperback, hardback and ebook from 27/02/26.
March 2020. The pandemic is about to send the world into a state of suspension - and a murderer is poised to stalk the abandoned streets of Bristol…
March 2020. The pandemic is about to send the world into a state of suspension - and a murderer is poised to stalk the abandoned streets of Bristol…
The Bristol gallows once stood at this roundabout atop St Michael’s Hill. In 1736 John Vernon was hanged there for shoplifting but as he was carted away he miraculously revived and made a full recovery. Deemed to have served his sentence of hanging, he was allowed to go free.
February 4, 2026 at 8:13 PM
The Bristol gallows once stood at this roundabout atop St Michael’s Hill. In 1736 John Vernon was hanged there for shoplifting but as he was carted away he miraculously revived and made a full recovery. Deemed to have served his sentence of hanging, he was allowed to go free.
WHERE AM I WEDNESDAY
February 4, 2026 at 1:13 PM
WHERE AM I WEDNESDAY
This stone railway bridge over the Avon (near Temple Meads) is among I.K. Brunel’s least known and most hidden Bristol designs. Opened in 1840 and later flanked by two girder bridges, it’s been nicknamed “The Cinderella Bridge” as its beauty is masked by two ugly stepsisters.
February 3, 2026 at 7:56 PM
This stone railway bridge over the Avon (near Temple Meads) is among I.K. Brunel’s least known and most hidden Bristol designs. Opened in 1840 and later flanked by two girder bridges, it’s been nicknamed “The Cinderella Bridge” as its beauty is masked by two ugly stepsisters.
Built in 1900, the former Everard’s Printing Works on Broad Street is one of the few (and easily most magnificent) examples of art nouveau architecture in Bristol The female figure at the top represents light and truth.
February 2, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Built in 1900, the former Everard’s Printing Works on Broad Street is one of the few (and easily most magnificent) examples of art nouveau architecture in Bristol The female figure at the top represents light and truth.
Since the 1970s, people have reported hearing a mysterious “hum” across Bristol.
The low frequency sound (which is usually heard at night by an estimated 4% of the population) has no definitive explanation.
“The Hum” has also been reported in Auckland, Ontario and Taos (New Mexico).
The low frequency sound (which is usually heard at night by an estimated 4% of the population) has no definitive explanation.
“The Hum” has also been reported in Auckland, Ontario and Taos (New Mexico).
February 1, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Since the 1970s, people have reported hearing a mysterious “hum” across Bristol.
The low frequency sound (which is usually heard at night by an estimated 4% of the population) has no definitive explanation.
“The Hum” has also been reported in Auckland, Ontario and Taos (New Mexico).
The low frequency sound (which is usually heard at night by an estimated 4% of the population) has no definitive explanation.
“The Hum” has also been reported in Auckland, Ontario and Taos (New Mexico).
The oldest of the four bronze “nails” outside The Exchange on Corn Street dates back to the late Elizabethan age. They were installed so that local merchants could make business deals upon them. Each nail has a ridged circumference to prevent coins from rolling away.
January 31, 2026 at 7:54 PM
The oldest of the four bronze “nails” outside The Exchange on Corn Street dates back to the late Elizabethan age. They were installed so that local merchants could make business deals upon them. Each nail has a ridged circumference to prevent coins from rolling away.
This piece of tram rail sticks out of the ground in St Mary Redcliffe churchyard, marking where it landed after a Luftwaffe bomb exploded nearby. It is kept as a reminder to how close the church came to destruction and also in memoriam to how much of the city was destroyed.
January 30, 2026 at 8:07 PM
This piece of tram rail sticks out of the ground in St Mary Redcliffe churchyard, marking where it landed after a Luftwaffe bomb exploded nearby. It is kept as a reminder to how close the church came to destruction and also in memoriam to how much of the city was destroyed.
After selling his patent for lead shot towers in 1790 for £10,000 William Watts planned on making the finest terrace in Bristol but building the 200ft foundations of Windsor Terrace alone bankrupted him and it had to be completed by another designer. It’s now known as Watts’ Folly.
January 29, 2026 at 8:09 PM
After selling his patent for lead shot towers in 1790 for £10,000 William Watts planned on making the finest terrace in Bristol but building the 200ft foundations of Windsor Terrace alone bankrupted him and it had to be completed by another designer. It’s now known as Watts’ Folly.
Reposted by Weird Bristol
SUSPENSION - my murder/mystery thriller set in pandemic-era Bristol will be available to buy in paperback, hardback and ebook from 27/02/26
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
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When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
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January 27, 2026 at 5:26 PM
SUSPENSION - my murder/mystery thriller set in pandemic-era Bristol will be available to buy in paperback, hardback and ebook from 27/02/26
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
1/2
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
1/2
This plaque in the pub garden of the Hatchet celebrates the Bristol prize fighters. Though illegal, prize fighting was hugely popular in the early 1800s and Bristol was famous for its bare knuckle fights, held on a stage in Frogmore Lane just in front of the pub.
January 28, 2026 at 8:03 PM
This plaque in the pub garden of the Hatchet celebrates the Bristol prize fighters. Though illegal, prize fighting was hugely popular in the early 1800s and Bristol was famous for its bare knuckle fights, held on a stage in Frogmore Lane just in front of the pub.
WHERE AM I WEDNESDAY
January 28, 2026 at 11:29 AM
WHERE AM I WEDNESDAY
This 1767 sculpture on Clifton Green is a memorial to the 79th Regiment of Foot; the 1757 British military unit engaged in the Seven Years’ War in the then Spanish-controlled Philippines. It may be the first war memorial ever dedicated to fallen soldiers (rather than a military leader) in Britain.
January 27, 2026 at 8:09 PM
This 1767 sculpture on Clifton Green is a memorial to the 79th Regiment of Foot; the 1757 British military unit engaged in the Seven Years’ War in the then Spanish-controlled Philippines. It may be the first war memorial ever dedicated to fallen soldiers (rather than a military leader) in Britain.
SUSPENSION - my murder/mystery thriller set in pandemic-era Bristol will be available to buy in paperback, hardback and ebook from 27/02/26
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
1/2
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
1/2
January 27, 2026 at 5:26 PM
SUSPENSION - my murder/mystery thriller set in pandemic-era Bristol will be available to buy in paperback, hardback and ebook from 27/02/26
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
1/2
When a funeral director and his assistant witness the murder of a faded film star during a video call, they are plunged into a dangerous mystery.
1/2
Beneath Castle Park are the remains of the 12th century castle moat. The river Frome is diverted beneath the city at this point, in a branching path of about 2 miles.
January 26, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Beneath Castle Park are the remains of the 12th century castle moat. The river Frome is diverted beneath the city at this point, in a branching path of about 2 miles.
Built in 1722 this Kings Weston House loggia (an outdoor dining area) is called “The Echo” and is believed to be located to enhance a naturally occurring echo. Fascination with echos was a brief fad in the Georgian era with buildings like this a fashionable status symbol.
January 25, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Built in 1722 this Kings Weston House loggia (an outdoor dining area) is called “The Echo” and is believed to be located to enhance a naturally occurring echo. Fascination with echos was a brief fad in the Georgian era with buildings like this a fashionable status symbol.
Reposted by Weird Bristol
I’ve just bought Weird Bristol to discover more very interesting and fascinating facts about the city and county of Bristol
Delve into the murky world of Bristol’s criminal past with my latest book WEIRD BRISTOL: TRUE CRIME.
Featuring 100 tales of lawlessness in our city - from scheming charlatans to plundering pirates, from hot-headed robberies to cold-blooded murder…
Available right now!
Link is in my profile.
Featuring 100 tales of lawlessness in our city - from scheming charlatans to plundering pirates, from hot-headed robberies to cold-blooded murder…
Available right now!
Link is in my profile.
January 25, 2026 at 4:37 PM
I’ve just bought Weird Bristol to discover more very interesting and fascinating facts about the city and county of Bristol
Running for 440 episodes between 1962 and 1983, “Animal Magic” was a BBC nature series presented by Johnny Morris (and later some co-presenters, including Terry Nutkins in his first TV appearance). Throughout its run it was filmed at Bristol Zoo.
January 24, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Running for 440 episodes between 1962 and 1983, “Animal Magic” was a BBC nature series presented by Johnny Morris (and later some co-presenters, including Terry Nutkins in his first TV appearance). Throughout its run it was filmed at Bristol Zoo.
Since early 2014 there have been reports and alleged sightings of a crocodile in the waterways around Bristol.
Sadly it seems that “Cristol” has said “see you later, alligator” to Bristol and moved onto more temperate waters - as she has not been seen in a while.
Sadly it seems that “Cristol” has said “see you later, alligator” to Bristol and moved onto more temperate waters - as she has not been seen in a while.
January 23, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Since early 2014 there have been reports and alleged sightings of a crocodile in the waterways around Bristol.
Sadly it seems that “Cristol” has said “see you later, alligator” to Bristol and moved onto more temperate waters - as she has not been seen in a while.
Sadly it seems that “Cristol” has said “see you later, alligator” to Bristol and moved onto more temperate waters - as she has not been seen in a while.
Horseshoe Bend - the sharp crook in the Avon near Shirehampton is a notoriously tricky stretch of water to navigate and has been the cause of many boats running aground.
It is also why ships built in Bristol have been limited to around 98m (320ft) in length - about as long as the SS Great Britain.
It is also why ships built in Bristol have been limited to around 98m (320ft) in length - about as long as the SS Great Britain.
January 22, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Horseshoe Bend - the sharp crook in the Avon near Shirehampton is a notoriously tricky stretch of water to navigate and has been the cause of many boats running aground.
It is also why ships built in Bristol have been limited to around 98m (320ft) in length - about as long as the SS Great Britain.
It is also why ships built in Bristol have been limited to around 98m (320ft) in length - about as long as the SS Great Britain.
Reposted by Weird Bristol
An annual ‘Dry Run’ is set to return to Bristol for its third year
Ravers and runners to unite for annual sober pub run
The event is a sober and fitness-focussed take on the traditional pub crawl
www.bristol247.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:55 AM
An annual ‘Dry Run’ is set to return to Bristol for its third year
The lower sections of these stained glass windows in Bristol Cathedral are replacements for those destroyed in the Bristol Blitz. The upper (smaller) sections date back to the 16th century.
January 21, 2026 at 8:14 PM
The lower sections of these stained glass windows in Bristol Cathedral are replacements for those destroyed in the Bristol Blitz. The upper (smaller) sections date back to the 16th century.
WHERE AM I WEDNESDAY
(It’s not Bristol!)
(It’s not Bristol!)
January 21, 2026 at 1:33 PM
WHERE AM I WEDNESDAY
(It’s not Bristol!)
(It’s not Bristol!)