Bristol Harbourside - a walk around the Floating Harbour
A three-kilometre walk around the Bristol Floating Harbour: Arnolfini, ss Great Britain, Spike Island and Wapping Wharf. Free, step-free, beautiful year-round.
The Floating Harbour is the enclosed basin of water at the heart of Bristol, created in 1809 when the tidal Avon was dammed to give ships a permanent deep-water mooring. The walk around its edges is the defining experience of a visit to the city.
The loop
Start at Broad Quay and walk east, north along the water, past the Arnolfini and the Watershed. Cross Pero’s Bridge. Follow the south bank west past Wapping Wharf (food stops), under the Prince Street swing bridge, past the ss Great Britain and Spike Island, and back across the water at the Cumberland Basin. Return along Hotwell Road. The full loop is about three kilometres and takes 60-90 minutes at a slow pace.
What to see along the way
The Arnolfini (art), Pero’s Bridge (history), Wapping Wharf (food), M Shed (museum), ss Great Britain (ship), the Underfall Yard (engineering), the Pump House (pub). Several of these have their own pages on this site.
Best time to walk
Early evening, late spring. Bring a coat in any season.
Access
Fully step-free throughout; some cobbled sections near the Underfall Yard. Several accessible public toilets around the loop (M Shed, the Arnolfini, Wapping Wharf).