15 Beautiful Places Less Than 30 Minutes Drive From Bristol

During lockdown, I found that I was exploring the same places over and over again; endless walks around the harbourside, uphill battles into Clifton and street art spotting in St Pauls & Montpelier.

Then I was able to drive for walks, my scope got a little bit wider, and I decided to explore a little more of the BS postcode.

So for anyone that wants a little adventure, but doesn’t want to be too far from home yet, I’ve compiled a list of fifteen places to explore in and near Bristol, all within around a 30-minute drive of the city centre (or less).

Please note that some shops, activities and restaurants may still be closed or subject to booking.

1. Pensford

Things to do while you’re there:

Admire the scenery and the miles of walks that surround the town. If it’s open (and safe), grab a cold drink from The Rising Sun and enjoy this view.

2. Golden Valley Nature Reserve

Things to do while you’re there:

Walk. Walk like your life depends on it. It’s the only way you’ll make it to the highest point of the nature reserve to admire crystal blue waters. If you take a picnic, make sure to do it responsibly and leave the area clean and tidy.

3. Clevedon

Things to do while you’re there:

Walk along the historic pier, catch a film in the historic Curzon cinema & amble along the (historic) Poet’s Walk.

Clevedon also has an array of independent shops if you feel like spending some of your hard-earned cash.

4. Portishead

Things to do while you’re there:

Take a swim in the Lido, walk along the coast from Black Nore lighthouse over to Battery Point and maybe reward yourself with a drink over by the Marina whilst doing a bit of boat spotting.

5. Chew Valley Lake

Things to do while you’re there:

Grab some fish & chips from Salt & Malt, scoff them, then walk around the lake to the ice cream van for dessert. Oh, and enjoy the views.

6. Dundry

Things to do while you’re there:

Enjoy the insanely good view of Bristol from the hill and see how many of our famous landmarks you can spot in the distance.

The Dundry Inn is close by if you don’t fancy a sit down with local residents of the farm animal kind.

7. Thornbury

Things to do while you’re there:

Pretend you’re former resident Henry VIII and wander around the castle grounds.

If the royal life isn’t for you, there are plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants on the High Street to choose from (The White Lion is my personal favourite) and lots of local walks in the area.

8. Kings Weston House

Things to do while you’re there:

Kings Weston Estate hosts plenty of space for walking (with or without dogs) and exploring. They even do Segway Tours if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous.

Although the house is only open to the public for hired events, there is a small café round the side of the house for refreshments.

9. Blaise Castle Estate

Things to do while you’re there:

If the museum is open, that tells you a bit more history about the estate and how it came to be. There are also acres and acres of walks, adventure playgrounds for the kids and a café.

10. Saltford

Things to do while you’re there:

This is the perfect place to stop off if you’re cycling the Bristol to Bath path, with plenty of open space for picnics and miles of river for canal boats, it’s a really lovely spot to take a breather.

11. Stoke Park Estate

Things to do while you’re there:

If you’ve driven into Bristol via the M32 then you’ll already know how iconic this house is.

During certain times of the year, there are haunted ghost walks (if that floats your boat), but if your fear threshold is pretty low, then walking around the extensive grounds in daylight will probably be a better idea.

12. Blagdon

Things to do while you’re there:

Blagdon Lake is often overlooked in favour of Chew Valley Lake, but it has plenty of charm itself.

Blagdon town is just as picturesque; full little cottage and houses with beautiful rose gardens, and a decent public footpath or two.

13. Chipping Sodbury

Things to do while you’re there:

Chipping Sodbury is on the edge of the Cotswolds, so it’s a good stopping point if you’re on a bigger adventure or if you just want a nice few hours in a small town.

The High Street is full of independent shops and there are plenty of pubs to choose from and The Horseshoe has a lovely beer garden too.

14. Frenchay Village

Things to do while you’re there:

Asides from lots of good walking spots and a moor, Frenchay Village has its very own museum.

It’s also a reasonable walking distance to Snuff Mills and Oldbury Court, if you want to make your nature filled walk a little longer.

15. Wrington

Things to do while you’re here:

Another quaint little place outside the city, Wrington is host some pretty pubs and historic churches. It’s also home to Butcombe Brewery who usually offer tours.

The Ethicurian restaurant and walled garden are well worth a visit for ethic, seasonal and home grown food and drinks in a repurposed orangery.

If you’d like to see more of Bristol and it’s surrounding areas, or to share your favourite places with me, feel free to follow my Instagram @zfjsutton

All photos taken by Zoë Sutton.