Having been designated as the
first ‘Cycling City’, Bristol has
a big emphasis on cycling, with
significant investment being put
into improving and expanding
cycle networks.
These networks link in to the Avon
Cycleway Network, making it possible
to explore Bristol and surrounding
areas with ease. New cycleways are
being built to create road-free
commuting routes across the city
and existing facilities are being
upgraded to include improved lighting
and cycle parking.
Football is also available at dedicated
five-a-side football centres located
around the city and is one of the many
sports on offer at the top-quality
University of Bristol facilities based
at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
This facility boasts two artificial
pitches, tennis courts, rugby, cricket,
gym and indoor sports facilities and
has a Sports Medicine Clinic on site.
The University of the West of England
(UWE) also provides a range of
facilities including a floodlit hockey
pitch and high quality indoor facilities
catering for squash, badminton,
basketball and netball.
The city council has invested significant
funding towards a new state-of-the-art
floodlit 400m running track at the City
Academy Bristol accommodating both
track and field events and a new 8-
lane competition facility at The Wise
Campus, Filton College, catering for
all athletics disciplines.
The £21 million Hengrove Leisure
Complex, offers a 10 lane, 50-metre
swimming pool and learner pool,
a 150 station health and fitness suite,
aerobics studio and four court sports
hall. This investment brought a massive
boost to sport and leisure in the south
of the city and is a hub for a range of
sporting activities. Due to its location,
Bristol lends itself to climbers, mountain
bikers and walkers alike, with two
climbing centres within 2 miles of the
city centre and a host of mountaineering
and rambling clubs, providing organised
activities in the area.
Ashton Court Estate, set in 850
acres of beautiful woodland, offers
orienteering, horse riding and two
18-hole par 3 golf courses. There are
two mountain bike trails and Leigh
Woods also contains marked out trails
just round the corner. The attractive
grounds of the estate also appeal to
leisure cyclists, with kite flying and
hot air balloons a regular feature.
For those more drawn to the water,
Bristol offers numerous canoeing,
sailing, diving and rowing clubs based
around the docks and surrounding
areas and pools, catering for beginners
to elite athletes.
For further information on sport in
Bristol, please visit
www.bristol.gov.uk/museums-pa rks- sports-culture/sports-and-fitnessOpen Spaces
Bristol boasts a wide range of parks
and green spaces suitable for days
out, from small community parks to
the vast rolling expanses of parkland
like Ashton Court Estate, The Downs
and Blaise Castle Estate.
There are places for picnics,
discovering wildlife, formal gardens,
playing tennis, riding bikes and flying
kites, to green gyms, allotments,
playgrounds, cafés, events and
activities for all ages and abilities.
A number of local nature reserves can
also be found in the city and we are
proud of achieving Green Flag status
for seven of our parks.
For more information see
www.bristol.gov.uk/museums-pa rks- sports-culture42