Clifton is an attractive suburb of Bristol on the western [Somerset] side. The river Avon flows through it in a gorge about 250 feet high. The 'Downs' near the gorge are very pleasant and a popular area for children and for taking dogs. However it is the gorge itself which is the real magnet for tourists and there are three major sights; the Suspension Bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Camera Obscura and St. Vincent's Cave [or the Giant's Cave.]
The cave itself is in the side of the gorge near the bridge. It could originally only be reached by scaling the gorge, from the top being nearest, but there is now an underground passage. I can actually remember the great excitement this conveyed when I was a child! Now I think that there is not much other appeal. The view of the gorge is fine - but no better than from the top - and the cave itself is not very big.
The other attractions are more interesting.
The Clifton Observatory was originally a snuff millbut washired out in 1828 to be an observatory. The camera obscura installed then is still operational and projects images of the surrounding area onto a white table in a darkened room. I cannot pretend to understand the optics but apparently the method dates back to the 16th century and gives a true image rather than the more common mirror one. The idea of watching people who have no idea that they are being watched does not seem so amazing now as when I first saw it but it retains quitea measure of curiosity value.
Lastly we come to the bridge. I am very ready to acknowledge that I have just looked at it as a historical model of considerable scenic virtue and I owe any further information on it to websites and in particular to the excellent one at
this site. Apparently a competition was held for the best design in 1829 by Thomas Telford who would only put forward a design of his own. This led to a fresh competition and Brunel submitted four different designs of which the one chosen was not his favourite. There was then a whole load of trouble with the building and with money and eventually the bridge was not finished until after Brunel's death and then it used recycled chains from one of his other bridges and omitted his plan for spynxes at the top which would have been too expensive.
The span of the bridge is 720 feet and it is slightly lower on the Somerset side. Otherwise an optical illusion would make it seem unbalanced!
I can only say that for all its stormy career it is still in use and is one of the best known sights in the area - I think deservedly so even if it is not quite what Brunel intended.