Consisting of 442 acres of land, The Downs is often dubbed Bristol’s ‘green lung’. Made up of Durdham Down and Clifton Down, the area has been protected from development since 1861 and spreads from the cliffs of the Avon Gorge to the edges of the Victorian-built suburbs.
Durdham Down is owned by Bristol City Council and makes 210 acres of the land, while Clifton Down makes the remaining 204 acres of land and has been owned by the Society of Merchant Ventures since 1686.
From the 18th-century, some of the land was used as lead and stone quarries, and until the mid-19th-century, the Downs was used as a rough pasture land for sheep grazing.
Horse races were held in the 19th-century, especially during Easter, as well as wrestling and boxing contests, and cricket matches between school teams of ‘young gentlemen’ and amateur cricket clubs.
The Society of Merchant Venturers gifted Clifton Down to the public indefinitely through an Act of Parliament in 1861.
On 22 May 2011, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Downs Act was celebrated with a Victorian-themed event. The 95th Rifles Napoleonic Military Group provided a lively reminder of how the Downs were used for military encampments and parades in years gone by.
Nowadays, the Downs is home to The Downs League – a thriving amateur football league with many pitches. The Downs also hosts many major events, charity runs, circuses, funfairs and sponsored abseiling events.
The Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project supports the wildlife in the park and runs events and tours, and the Friends of The Downs and Avon Gorge is a community group that supports the park.
Almost a dozen trails are available at the Downs including seasonal family trails and history trails.
The Downs is also considered a Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Site, a site of nature conservation interest and a Dark Sky Discovery Site (it’s basically a good place to look at the night sky).
Here are 23 photos from our visit to the Downs:
5. The Haven shelter
Located next to Westbury Road and Upper Belgrave Road, The Haven was built in 1917 to offer shelter to convalescing service men and women from the nearby Queen Victoria Jubilee Convalescent Home and was paid for by public subscription. The Haven was built in three distinct sections so that at least one section would always be out of the strong winds that prevail on the Downs. | Adriana Amor
6. The Downs League
Formed in 1905, the Downs League has over 50 clubs in four leagues on the 32 pitches. | Adriana Amor
7. Suspension Bridge
The famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and completed in 1864, can be viewed from Clifton Observatory and can be accessed through the nearby Gloucester Row. | Adriana Amor
8. Roman street marking
Found near Ladies Mile and Stoke Road, these are boundary stones, marking the parish boundary between Clifton Parish and Westbury Parish, and are mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter of 883. | Adriana Amor