LOVE LIFE LOVE BRISTOL A guide for professionals and their families relocating AND BATH to Bristol & Bath If you are thinking of relocating to our region we can offer a variety of client services to suit your needs. Contact us to find out how we can help you: Invest Bristol & Bath WELCOME TO THE Email [email protected] Telephone 01174 286 211 BRISTOL AND BATH Website www.bristolandbath.co.uk Social @investbrisbath REGION The Bristol and Bath region is home to 1.1 million residents and comprises Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It is a hugely diverse region where stimulating urban living sits comfortably alongside rolling countryside, spectacular coastlines and heritage stretching back thousands of years. 1 So many diverse places are accessible BIRMINGHAM from here. You’ve got beautiful Bath, 1 HR 23 MINS BY TRAIN chic Bristol and coastal towns like Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon. If it’s countryside you’re after, head into the villages of South Gloucestershire CHELTENHAM and the Cotswolds for green spaces and historic market towns. GLOUCESTER CARDIFF LONDON HEATHROW 1 HR BY TRAIN TRAIN BY 1 HR CARDIFF AIRPORT SEVERN BRIDGE BRISTOL BRISTOL AIRPORT WESTON-SUPER-MARE BATH EXETER 2 3 CONTENTS CITY, COAST AND COUNTRY BEST FOR CULTURAL HOUSING: TOWN A* EDUCATION GETTING THERE EXQUISITE COMMUNITIES DOING QUALITY OF LIFE HOTSPOT OR COUNTRYSIDE? FASTER SHOPPING BUSINESS Home to the UK’s top From harbourside gigs Designer waterside Schools and employers Flights to 100+ Quirky independents Diverse communities A guide to our city in the ‘quality of to heavenly choirs apartments, smart are joining forces to destinations, bike mingle with major and support networks business sectors life’ index townhouses and secure jobs for all lanes aplenty and a stores and street for all country residences super-fast electrified markets rail line to London PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE Cubex 4 6 8 12 18 22 24 26 28 5 QUALITY OF LIFE BRISTOL IS A TEST BED WORK-LIFE BALANCE FEWER THAN ONE IN FOUR FOR 5G PEOPLE IN THE REGION WORK TECH NATION 2017 45+ HRS A WEEK MOST PRODUCTIVE WEST CORE REGION BRISTOL HAS SUSTAINED ECONOMIC BRISTOL - BEST GROWTH OUTSTRIPPING LONDON AND OTHER MAJOR CITIES AND EVEN HAS BRISTOL PLACE TO LIVE UK’S LEADER IN ITS OWN CURRENCY TO HELP BUILD A SMART CITIES STRONGER LOCAL ECONOMY (SUNDAY TIMES 2017) IS BEST (HUAWEI 2017) The quality of life here is excellent. It’s really only second to London for things to do but we don’t have the crowds of the capital. There are lots of restaurants and cafés and LOWER-COST HOUSING for the children you can find free play ideas and interactive A HOUSE IN THE REGION COSTS exhibitions at places such as MShed; Bristol Museum and UNESCO CITY LESS THAN HALF THAT OF Art Gallery and the many family friendly events in the area. A LONDON ABODE We love Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery and Holburne Museum BATH IS THE ONLY and going for long family rambles across the spectacular country estate of Dyrham Park. BRITISH CITY WITH UNESCO WORLD This area consistently tops the ‘best quality are areas of outstanding natural beauty HERITAGE STATUS COOLEST CITY: of life’ polls. Most recently voted “Best place dotting the Severn Estuary, the Mendip UNESCO CITY OF to live” in the Sunday Times list (2017) it has Hills and along into the Cotswolds Area also outstripped London with its “Smart City” of Outstanding Natural Beauty. CREATIVE FILM BRISTOL VOTED NO 1 credentials and economic growth (Huawei Bristol and Bath have a growing foodie Report 2017). With houses across all price BRISTOL GAINED THIS BY ROUGH GUIDES scene supported by an area that is home points, abundant job opportunities, quality to award winning vineyards, cider makers, CYCLE HUB: schools and access to the countryside and ACCOLADE IN 2017 (2017) micro breweries, cheese makers, organic WITH LINKS TO THE coast, the region has clear advantages over growers and producers. other major UK city regions. WIDER REGION, In both South Gloucestershire and North BRISTOL IS THE UK’S Heritage and entertainment are powerful draws: Somerset you will find outdoor pursuits, FIRST CYCLING CITY Bristol is well known for its trendy art spaces good walking, a plethora of parks and and interactive exhibitions and Bath for its estates and beaches both large and small. packed festival calendar, independent shops and iconic attractions. Wherever you go in the region our built environment is complemented by The natural environment is preserved open spaces, cycle paths, waterways www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39320118 with pride too: beyond the urban centres www.roughguides.com/article/why-bristol-is-the-coolest-city-in-britain/ and woodland. www.uswitch.com/place-to-live/bath-north-east-somerset-north-somerset-south-gloucestershire/ www.zoopla.co.uk 6 visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/sports-and-adventure/cycling 7 CULTURE AND LEISURE Bristol boasts the region’s most varied nightlife with tucked-away speakeasies such as Hausbar and Hyde & Co and the mega Motion nightclub, with live bands at O2 Academy Bristol. Bath also has a vibrant nightlife with entertainment to suit all tastes. Not only are there a number of independent bars, gig venues and nightclubs, the city’s reputation as a foodie heaven is evident in the wealth of restaurants to be found nestled in the city’s lanes and squares. West End-quality productions regularly visit Theatre Royal Bath along with Bristol Old Vic and Bristol Hippodrome. More intimate experimental works come CULTURE courtesy of Bristol’s Tobacco Factory Theatre; Old Market Assembly; the harbourside Arnolfini centre and Komedia in Bath. Those craving the fresh ocean air should head to Portishead Quays Marina — one of the South West’s best equipped marinas — or zip down the coast for the beaches of Weston-super-Mare, Sand Bay or Brean. Alternatively, keep it inland, and explore the CLUB market towns of Thornbury and Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury Castle, the grand National Trust estate of Dyrham Park, Tyntesfield and the wild Leigh Woods. Offering everything from A great day out is Slimbridge WWT situated in pleasant countryside and giving access to conservation and international music festivals wildlife. The area has an abundance of cycle ways linking our cities, countryside and rich heritage – the Bristol to Bath cycle way, Colliers Way, Strawberry to cutting-edge theatre, Line and Festival Way. The region is perfect for those looking for an active On top of a thriving music, events and festivals it’s impossible to be idle lifestyle – climbing in the Mendip Hills, mountain programme, Bristol and Bath is home to a number biking in Leigh Woods, dingy sailing and windsurfing of award winning restaurants, bars and independent in the West of England. at Chew Valley Lake, sand yachting and kite surfing coffee shops, from the UK Barista Champion at at Weston-super-Mare, gig rowing at Clevedon and Colonna & Smalls in Bath, to the best flat white at Bristol Harbourside, cruising from Portishead, or Society Café. walking in the ample countryside. Bristol is the birthplace of Pieminister with a number Nothing captures the region’s spirit better than its of locations across the region including The Raven in numerous festivals, celebrating jazz and blues, film Bath (where you can’t go wrong with a Beef & Raven and animation, literature, food and folk, green living, Ale pie). If you fancy something a bit more artisan you’ll nautical capers and its iconic hot-air balloons at the find queues around the corner at Hart’s Bakery for their annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta. daily sourdough and for a bit of history why not grab a Quality of life is important to residents in Bristol and Bath Bun at Sally Lunns. Bath and having a wide range of leisure centres, For dinner head to Wapping Wharf where you’ll find activity classes and outdoor pursuits will allow anyone a variety of pop-up eateries with offerings from Italy, who lives here the opportunity to live well and excel Greece, the Caribbean and India. Special occasion? in life outside of the office. The region is home to four Michelin starred restaurants – Casamia, The Pony & Trap, Paco Tapas and Wilks, finally to cap off the evening you can head to Bristol’s prohibition bar the Milk Thistle (if you Arcadia Spectacular Arcadia produced by and Love and Team the photographer can find it). 8 9 CULTURE AND LEISURE FESTIVAL ART AND SPECTACLES THE GREAT LIVING SPORTS AND FUN INTERACTION AND SHOWS OUTDOORS HISTORY LEISURE CENTRES > Bath Fringe > Arnolfini > Bristol Hippodrome > Bath Skyline Walk > Aerospace Museum > Ashton Gate Stadium > Bath Film Festival > Fashion Museum > Bristol Old Vic > Cheddar Gorge > Avon Valley Railway > Badminton Horse Trials > Bath Festival (multi-arts) > Holburne Museum > Bristol Zoo > Chew Magna > Berkeley Castle > Bath Racecourse > Bristol Harbour Festival > Jane Austen Centre > Bristol Aquarium > Chew Valley lake > Brunel’s SS Great Britain > Bath Rugby Recreation Ground > Bristol International Balloon Fiesta > MShed > Colston Hall > Clevedon Pier > Dyrham Park > Bloc Bristol > Bristol Jazz & Blues Festival > Royal West of England Academy (RWA) > Noah’s Ark Farm Park > Clifton Suspension Bridge > Roman Baths > Bristol and Clifton Golf Club > Children’s Bath Literature Festival > The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery > Puxton Park > Leigh Woods > Royal Crescent and Circus > Leisure Centres throughout > Great Bath Feast > We The Curious > Theatre Royal Bath > Mendip Hills and Cotswolds, AONBs > Thornbury Castle the region > HazyDayz Music Festival