Discover Bristol’s culture, history and people, through inspiring books and untold stories
LATEST PUBLICATIONS
Including South Wales & South Cotswolds
Where shall we go today? Crook Peak, the Avalon Marshes, the Wye Valley? Or perhaps Bruton, Glastonbury or Clevedon? This book is packed with ideas for great days out within around an hour or so’s drive, with suggestions to suit your mood, schedule and starting point. From the Mendip Hills and Somerset Levels, to South Wales, the southern Cotswolds, the Coast and its resorts. Quirky facts and background information provide context, while divided into micro-regions, maps provide orientation. This guide will help you explore what is on the doorstep or to venture further afield along paths less travelled.
Of Earth and Sky describes 30 projects created by international artist Luke Jerram from 2019 to 2025. As well as providing updates on the staggeringly popular Museum of the Moon and Gaia, it also features the very latest artworks including Helios, charitable creative projects from the new Jerram Foundation, and many more, most recently relating to planetary health.
A specialist in creating visual artwork which often attracts large audiences and publicity, Jerram gives an insight into how he works in collaboration with other artists, performers, scientists, anthropologists and members of the public, right around the world, to create these astonishing projects.
Explore how the artist expertly creates opportunities to bring people together.
By Robin Askew, Eugene Byrne, Melanie Kelly and Amy O’Beirne
Edited by Andrew Kelly
Follow in the footsteps of the Romantic poets and Brunel. Learn about Bristol’s council housing, commerce and public life. Discover the myths people tell about the city. Experience arts, music history and nature. And see how different the city might have looked if some projects had gone ahead. This book brings together a series of walks created and commissioned by Bristol Ideas to help you explore this unique city.
How much do you know about Bristol? Why does it look the way it looks? What secrets do its streets hide? What stories could its buildings tell if they had a voice?
Michael Manson takes you on a search to find the soul of the city where he has lived for more than 45 years.
Each one of Bristol’s bridges has a fascinating story which is woven intimately into the 1,000-year history of the city. Why was it built? What was involved in its design, engineering and construction? What dramatic events sometimes swirled around and perhaps on it? In this book Jeff Lucas tells the story of each of the 45 bridges which span the main waterways of Bristol between Avonmouth and St Anne’s, and which can be crossed on foot.
Robin Prytherch was a man with a passion for birds and one in particular – the common buzzard. For over 40 years, rain or shine, armed with a cheese sandwich, a flask of coffee, a pair of binoculars and a telescope, he headed out to watch them. During his studies he sketched and observed generations of buzzards and got to know their behaviour, individual characters and family relationships intimately. He delighted in finding new and interesting things to say about what one might think is already a very well-known species, and was eager to share his discoveries with others. So, starting in 1995, he decided to do just that by designing and sending out his own buzzard- themed Christmas cards. Sadly, Robin passed away in 2021 but, partially as a tribute to his memory, in this book they are all collected together in one place for others to enjoy.
BRISTOL’S BEST PLACES FOR PLANT BASED FOOD
Ben McCabe & Helena Murphy
Vegan Bristol is a guide to the most tantalising spots to discover amazing vegan food in Bristol. Featuring a curated selection of the best vegan and vegan-friendly establishments across a range of cuisines and cultures – from restaurants and cafés to pubs and pop-ups – this guide is the sure-fire way to find your next delicious plant-based meal in the South West’s cultural capital, regardless of your budget and desires.
In Vegan Bristol, you’ll find:
An introduction to Bristol’s extensive vegan food scene
More than 40 locations carefully researched and chosen for their quality and atmosphere
Detailed information about each location, as well as useful insights such as takeaway options
Provision listings and ‘Best places for...’ guide
Peter and Sue Cullimore’s Georgian home in Bristol was shortlisted for the TV history programme A House Through Time. In the end, theirs wasn’t the one chosen. But it inspired them to become house history detectives themselves, and to offer us tips on researching the past of our own homes.
LATEST NEWS
How do you fit a bookshop into a shipping container? We speak to Leah, owner of A Very Small Bookshop to find out more...
Pre-order now: This title will be released on 19th September, 2026
12 easy walks around Bristol’s green spaces
Includes:
Maps
Detailed walk instructions
Photos
Nature notes
History & heritage
Family-friendly ideas
And more…
This book brings together 12 short walks – each around 2-4 miles – exploring the many green spaces within the Bristol city boundaries. From wooded valleys and wildflower meadows to reclaimed industrial sites now returned to nature, formal parkland and local nature reserves.
These walks have been selected for relatively easy walking and accessibility, with options for shortcuts, detours and extensions. As well as detailed walk descriptions and route maps, each walk has accompanying information on local history and heritage, nature notes, plus ideas and activities for families and children to help get the most out of your walk. There are also suggestions for public transport links and nearby car parking, plus ideas for refreshment stops along the way.
Bristol is a city with a wealth of green spaces and you don't need to go far to take a walk in nature. Walking in green spaces has many benefits for health and well-being, and it can also be an enjoyable way of discovering new parts of the city and finding out about its history and wildlife. If you want to immerse yourself in Bristol’s green spaces and discover something new along the way, Bristol Green Walks is the ideal first step.