Bristol, city, southern England, on the Lower Avon River, at its confluence with the Frome River. Bristol is a major manufacturing center and an important shipping point for the products of the industrialized West Midlands region. Its harbor, on the Severn estuary, is accessible to large oceangoing vessels. The well-equipped port has facilities for the storage and transshipment of grain and petroleum, two leading imports. Much local industry is based on the processing of such imports as zinc ore, cocoa, timber, and tea. The city is a major aircraft manufacturing center; other products include chemicals and footwear.
Among the notable structures in Bristol are the Church of Saint Mary Redcliffe (14th century), an especially fine example of English Gothic style; and Bristol Cathedral, portions of which date from the 12th century. Crossing the Avon gorge here is the Clifton Suspension Bridge (1864), designed by the famous engineer Isambard Brunel. The city's educational institutions include the University of Bristol (1876) and the University of the West of England, Bristol (1992, formerly a polytechnic college). Also here are the Theatre Royal (1766), home of the Bristol Old Vic Company; the City Museum and Art Gallery; and the Bristol Zoo.
