Bristol city , England UK, is the largest city in the south of England after London and the largest shipping port in England. The port of Bristol grew up in mediaeval times around the confluence of the rivers Avon and Frome, requiring ships to navigate the tidal and precipitous Avon Gorge that flows out into the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth.At the beginning of the nineteenth century, this tidal port was turned into the enclosed Floating Harbour by the construction of locks and the New Cut (an overflow channel for the River Avon). Because of the way this was done, the floating harbour winds its way through the city centre in quite a different manner to the way most enclosed docks turn their backs on their host city.
With the advent of larger ships the tricky passage of the Avon Gorge became too much of a liability and Bristol's commercial shipping long since moved downstream to modern docks at Avonmouth and Portbury. But the floating harbour lives on as a real unique selling point for Bristol, providing mooring for leisure craft and preserved ships, a home for the city's industrial museum and a setting for numerous bars, restaurants, apartment complexes and offices. Although it's often overlooked as a tourist destination, Bristol has a lot to offer of its own and is also an excellent base for exploring the West Country, with relatively inexpensive accommodation compared to some of the main 'tourist traps' and a huge choice of bars, restaurants and shops. It is one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the South of England, hosting a wide variety of visual arts, theatre, speciality shopping and live music.
