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:
13. Peregrine watch
After some 50 years of absence, the peregrine falcon returned to the Avon Gorge in 1990 and has nested here every year since. Visitors can enjoy peregrine watching in March when they put on breathtaking courtship displays and the air resounds with their eerie, high-pitched cries, and in June and July, when the fledglings leave the nest and take flying lessons. | Adriana Amor
14. Observatory
The tower was built in 1766 as a corn windmill and stands in the centre of an Iron Age hill fort. The Merchant Venturers gave artist William West permission to convert the picturesque ruin into an observatory in 1828, where he installed a camera obscura on the top of the tower. | Adriana Amor
15. Memorial drinking fountain
The memorial drinking fountain was built in 1904 to celebrate the life of Reverend Urijah Rees Thomas. It’s located by Stoke Road. | Adriana Amor
16. Information board
Located next to the water tower in Stoke Road, the information board gives some background to the Downs including its history and nearby monuments | Adriana Amor