Clifton Suspension Bridge

Woman in the foreground wearing a blue hi-vis vest and white hard hat, with her back to the camera, taking a photo of a group of three people in matching hi-vis and hard hats. They are standing inside of a stone structure. There is an orange outline of a gift card overlaid over the image.

Why not gift an experience this year?

A small number of Hard Hat Tour Gift Vouchers are now available and will give the recipient early access to pre-booking for 2026 tours.

cliftonbridge.org.uk/giftvoucher/

Bird's eye view looking along the Clifton Suspension Bridge from the Clifton side. The trees in the Avon Gorge are still leafy, but the colours are starting the change to orange and yellow. There is a blue cherry picker and white truck with cherry pickers on the roadway of the bridge.

Thank you Select Electrics who took some truly spectacular photos of the #CliftonSuspensionBridge, while working onsite during the 29 October bridge closure 🌉

During the closure vital monitoring equipment, which protects the bridge from overloading by overweight vehicles, was overhauled.

Sepia-toned photo, with missing spots around the edges due to the age of the photograph. A big ship, the Wheatplain, is in the foreground, with Hotwells and the Clifton Suspension Bridge hazy and in the background.

SS Wheatplain approaching the Cumberland Basin, 1924-1930, with the #CliftonSuspensionBridge in the background.

The steam cargo ship Wheatplain was built in 1924 for the Spillers Steamship Co. Liverpool as part of the well-known bakery and pet food manufacturer.

Photo from #KnowYourPlace archive.

Black and white photograph of a tugboat pushing through the water of the River Avon with a cement walkway beside it. There are houses and buildings in the background, with Sion Hill and the Leigh Woods tower of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in the background.

A tug boat passing the Hotwells Landing Stage with the #CliftonSuspensionBridge in the background. The photo was taken in the 1950s and is from the Public Relationships photography collection.

Photo is from the #KnowYourPlace digital archive.

Clifton Suspension Bridge from a distance, peaking through trees. The trees are all covered in orange and yellow leaves, some have fallen leaving the branches bare. The sky is bright blue and has fluffy clouds.

#CliftonSuspensionBridge in autumn 🍂

Christmas The Clifton Bridge Shop stocks a curated selection of souvenirs, cards, and books, as well as gifts and homewares inspired by the built heritage of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the city of Bristo...

🎄 Snow Globe Ornament, £4.00
🎄 Wreath Ornament, £4.00
🎄 Laser Cut Bridge Ornament, £8.00
🎄 Ceramic Bridge Ornament, £17.00

🛍 shop.cliftonbridge.org.uk/collections/christmas

Assortment of Christmas themed items again a faux pine garland with pinecones and red berries laid on a white knit blanket. The ornaments are either shaped like, or have a photo of the Clifton Suspension Bridge on them. There is a laser-cut wooden decoration with a cut-out of the bridge, a ceramic ornament shaped like the bridge and illustrated in blue ink, an ornament shaped like a snowglobe and one shaped like a wreath, both featuring images of the bridge in winter. There are also two fabric-covered books of Christmas stories, a Christmas tree scented candle and a blue knitted scarf.

We’re thrilled to be joining in on #MuseumShopSunday this year! It’s the perfect chance to celebrate museum shops like ours. So why not add a bit of the #CliftonSuspensionBridge to your décor and support a local museum at the same time.

🛍 shop.cliftonbridge.org.uk/collections/christmas

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Avon Gorge, Sion Hill and Hotwells from the Portway. There are colour fireworks shooting off of the bridge, with holden spray fireworks shooting off overhead. The sky is a purple colour with the reflection of the fireworks and lights from the houses reflected in the River Avon.

It's been 11 years, but we'll never be over the fireworks display to celebrate 150 years since the #CliftonSuspensionBridge was opened.

It would be incredible to do something like this again, maybe for the 200th anniversary 🎆

📷 Ed Norton

Black and white photo of the Clifton Suspension Bridge under construction looking through the Clifton tower down the roadway. The tower has scaffolding on it and the top of the tower hasn't been put on yet, but the chains have been installed. There are men working in the foreground, with a few looking at the camera.

A group of men stop to have their picture taken on the #CliftonSuspensionBridge. You can see that the chains have already been installed and the original toll booths are under construction.

c. 1863

View of the Leigh Woods Tower and Abutment of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The trees have started to lose all of their leaves and the roadway disappears off to the left of the photo. It has a filter that makes it appear almost vintage.

View of the Leigh Woods Tower of the #CliftonSuspensionBridge from Observatory Hill.

📷 Michael McKay

The photo is attributed to Cundall Downes and Co of 168 New Bond Street, was found by one of our volunteers in a Reece Winstone book recently. It's listed as being taken in 1855, but Brunel seems to have a bit too much hair for that date.

Scan of a black and white portrait of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He is sitting down, with one hand in his trouser pocket. He is wearing a waistcoat, jacket and small scarf around his neck. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. His hair is fairly mussed.

We have a research question to put to the group about this photo of #Brunel that no one on our #CliftonSuspensionBridge team has seen before.

We can't seem to find the image or mention of it online anywhere. Have you seen it before or know anything about it?

A view down the roadway of the Clifton Suspension Bridge with a blue sky.

We're recruiting for a Bridge Attendant to join the team based at Clifton Suspension Bridge. This is a full time shift-based role that's customer focussed & involves assisting bridge users, alongside some heavy lifting and minor maintenance. Find out more here: cliftonbridge.org.uk/about-us/job...

Definitely come along for a visit!

Thank you, we're so pleased!

Book a Tour at the Clifton Suspension Bridge Delve under Bristol's iconic landmark, or join onto a free weekend tour. There are lots of ways to see the bridge!

The Lantern Tours are all booked up for this year, but there are still a few spaces to explore the vaults on our other experiences before we close them in October (don't worry, tours start again in April 2026) 🦺 🎩

cliftonbridge.org.uk/bookatour

Line of people in hi-vis vests and hard hats holding up Victorian-style lanterns to see by. The photo has been taken in the dark so the only light is from the lanterns and it is warm and soft. A Guide stands nearest the camera with his back to it. All the people in the group look interested in what he is saying. The Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards logo has been added to the bottom left of the image.

We're excited to announce that #CliftonSuspensionBridge Museum is up for an award at this year's Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards! Our Underground Lantern Tour is a finalist in the Active & Learning Experience of the Year category. We couldn't be more proud of the our team of storytellers!

Hand-colouring was popular in the early 20th century and involved applying pigment (from watercolours, oils or dyes) to a black and white image. The process resulted in unique, individualised works of art that were especially popular as souvenirs 🖌🎨

Black and white photo of the Clifton Suspension Bridge taken from Observatory Hill taken in the early 20th century. The Avon Gorge is full of leafy trees and a Paddle Steamer sails underneath the bridge in a full River Avon. The photo has been hand-coloured, as was the style, so the trees appear a muted green, both towers of the bridge and the abutment are red and the caps on the towers are yellow. It appears to have been done in a hurry or by a relatively unskilled person, as the lines are not crisp and the colours quite simple.

A postcard featuring a highly-colourised image of the #CliftonSuspensionBridge with a paddle steamer underneath. The postcard is from our archive and a digital copy can be found here: bit.ly/3IPoZ8H

On one night in 1564 the skies above Bristol were said to have filled with colourful beams of light. At the time this was seen as an omen heralding the return of the plague to the city but it’s now theorised it was likely the aurora borealis being visible unusually far south.

Aerial photograph looking down at the Clifton Suspension Bridge and surrounding area. The sky is a dark grey, with lots of clouds giving it a rainy, autumnal vibe.

Anyone else feeling the end of summer blues? 🌧

📷 Jonny Gios

Stack of nature-themed books sitting on a woolly, plaid scarf again a brick wall backdrop. The book are, from bottom to top, Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape by Oliver Rackham, A Spotter's Guide to Countryside Mysteries by John Wright, Treasury of Folklore: Woodlands and Forests by Dee Dee Chainey and Willow Winsham, The Wisdom and Trees by Max Adams, and The Little Book of Foraging by Kitty Greenbrown sitting upright on top with the cover facing out. There is a small, orange velvet pumpkin sitting on top of the books.

As the weather gets cooler (rainier) it's the perfect time to crack open an old favourite or dive into something new.

Visit our online shop to browse our selection of books inspired by nature (and Brunel, of course) and use code READABOOK for 10% off all books this weekend 🎩

📚 bit.ly/3UUPKeo

A diversion route will be signed using Bridge Valley Road, Brunel Way and A369 Rownham Hill. Traffic following the official signed diversion routes from the bridge during these times will be exempt from Bristol City Council’s Clean Air Zone.

During this closure contractor, Taziker, will be undertaking scaffolding works, preparation works to the chains and painting the chains from the roadway. The Trust will also take advantage of the closure to conduct inspections and general maintenance.

Photo taken from the scaffolding erected around the Clifton Suspension Bridge chains, high up towards the Clifton Tower. You are looking across the bridge and the Avon Gorge from this vantage point towards the Leigh Woods Tower. There are two people on the scaffolding, with their backs towards the camera. They are wearing orange hi-vis with Taziker on the back and white hard hats. The trees in the gorge are lush and green, the river is half full with water and there are cars driving across the bridge.

📣 Bridge Closure 📣

The #CliftonSuspensionBridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic this weekend from 7:00pm on Friday 5 September until 7:00am on Monday 8 September. Pedestrians will still be able to walk across the bridge using the north footway and the museum will be open as usual.

A funny sign, that looks like a worksite safety sign, listing regulations for the site which read: Warning, Neat and tidy work in progress, Gnomes only beyond this point, and Hot tea must be consumed. It is attached to a black iron gate, with real safety signs behind and the Clifton Suspension Bridge Leigh Woods Tower in the background.

The Gromit sculpture for the Gromit Unleashed 3 Trail in support of the Grand Appeal Charity. The sculpture is called The Bristol Barker and is painted in a graphic style with red, blues and pinks. There are also specific local words painted on it, such as Brizzle and Gert Lush.

It's the final weekend to come and visit The Bristol Barker at the #CliftonSuspensionBridge! Pick up a Grand Appeal 3 trail map from the museum and see how many you can check off 🐶

Looking across the Clifton Suspension Bridge from the Leigh Woods Abutment to Clifton. The line of the roadway and fencing gets smaller and smaller as it disappears into the Clifton Tower. The River Avon is at high tide and the sun is just appearing from behind the Clifton Tower. Everything is bathed in the golden light of dawn.

Are you more of a sunrise or sunset person? 🌅

📷 Lee Pullen

Take a closer look behind (above?) the chains of the major, once-in-a-generation project at the #CliftonSuspensionBridge

Looking towards the Clifton Suspension Bridge from the pavement near the Chapter & Holmes coffee wagon to the right and The Bristol Barker Gromit sculpture to the right. In the background you can just see the top of the Leigh Woods towers, but there is fencing in the way to protect the work site. A grey car is driving past.

Looking for an all-ages family day out? Stop by the #CliftonSuspensionBridge Museum and pick up a free #GromitUnleashed3 Trail Map before saying hello to The Bristol Barker and Mr. Darcy up on Observatory Hill.

Then see how many of the Clifton sculptures you can check off the list! 🐾

Did we mention that the vaults are always 13 degrees? A bit of a reprieve from the growing heat... ☀️