Bristol is a city with a population of nearly half a million people in south west England, situated between Somerset and Gloucestershire on the tidal River Avon. It has been among the country's largest and most economically and culturally important cities for eight centuries. The Bristol area has been settled since the Stone Age and there is evidence of Roman occupation. A mint was established in the Saxon burgh of Brycgstow by the 10th century and the town rose to prominence in the Norman era, gaining a charter and county status in 1373. The change in the form of the name 'Bristol' is due to the local pronunciation of 'ow' as 'ol'.
Maritime connections to Wales, Ireland, Iceland, western France, Spain and Portugal brought a steady increase in trade in wool, fish, wine and grain during the Middle Ages. Bristol became a city in 1542 and trade across the Atlantic developed. The city was captured by Royalist troops and then recaptured for Parliament during the English Civil War. During the 17th and 18th centuries the transatlantic slave trade and the Industrial Revolution brought further prosperity. Edmund Burke, MP for Bristol, supported the American Revolution and free trade. Prominent reformers such as Mary Carpenter and Hannah More campaigned against the slave trade.
The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw the construction of a floating harbour, advances in shipbuilding and further industrialisation with the growth of the glass, paper, soap and chemical industries aided by the establishment of Bristol as the terminus of the Great Western Railway by I. K. Brunel. In the early 20th century, Bristol was in the forefront of aircraft manufacture and the city had become an important financial centre and high technology hub by the beginning of the 21st century.
and 20 Related for: History of Bristol information
Bristol is a city with a population of nearly half a million people in south west England, situated between Somerset and Gloucestershire on the tidal River...
Atlantic historyBristol Christian Fellowship Bristol Pound Bristol power stations Healthcare in Bristol Parks ofBristol Subdivisions ofBristol "How life...
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, doing business as Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), is an American multinational pharmaceutical company. Headquartered in...
areas. HistoryofBristol Politics ofBristolHistoryofBristol City Council List of Lord Mayors ofBristol High Sheriff ofBristol Mayor ofBristol Elizabeth...
Bristol Zoo was a zoo in the city ofBristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission was to "maintain and defend" biodiversity through breeding...
Bristol Airport (IATA: BRS, ICAO: EGGD), at Lulsgate Bottom, on the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills, in North Somerset, is an international airport...
Bristol City Council is the local authority ofBristol, England. The council is a unitary authority. Bristol has 34 wards, electing a total of 70 councillors...
district as a result of the Local Government Act 1972 (with initial elections taking place in 1973). It was envisaged that Bristol would share power with...
The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England, UK. With more...
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation...
city ofBristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. The overall trend of both...
The Bristol Omnibus Company was a dominant bus operator in Bristol, and was one of the oldest bus companies in the United Kingdom. It ran buses over a...
Port ofBristol comprises the commercial, and former commercial, docks situated in and near the city ofBristol in England. The Port ofBristol Authority...
The University ofBristol is a red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can...
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city ofBristol, England. The harbour covers an area of 70 acres (28 hectares). It is the former natural tidal river...
Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old...
Bristol Castle was a Norman castle built for the defence ofBristol. Remains can be seen today in Castle Park near the Broadmead Shopping Centre, including...
Bristol Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of England cathedral in the city ofBristol, England....
The historyof the University ofBristol can be said to have begun in 1909 when the university gained a royal charter which allowed it to award degrees...
Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is located 118 miles 31 chains (118.39 mi; 190.5 km) away from...