Clifton Observatory and Caves

Clifton Observatory and Caves

Clifton Observatory and Caves
4
Caverns & CavesObservatories & PlanetariumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Clifton Observatory and Caves sits above the Avon Gorge offering superb views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the city of Bristol. The Observatory houses one of the only camera obscuras still open to the public in the UK. Originally built as a windmill for corn in 1766, the mill was later taken over by William West in 1828 who then converted the building into his own artist studio and installed the camera obscura, which is still working today. The camera offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Avon Gorge & Clifton Downs. During his time at the Observatory West also cut an underground passage to the Giant's Cave which was originally only accessible via the cliff face. After a short descent into the cave guests can enjoy the spectacular views along the Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge. The Observatory is open to visitors 7 days a week from 10am - 5pm in Spring/Summer and 10am-4pm in Autumn/Winter with last entry being 15 minutes before closing time.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Dailymail
    London, United Kingdom16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Quite simply brilliant 👏
    Fantastic place to visit and exceptional customer service. Visited the Observatory today 27th March 24 and was welcomed by a very nice lady named Lisa on the desk. She was really knowledgeable and a credit to the site. Really made myself, wife and son welcome. It was obvious she had a passion about the place and this inspired us to look into the history more. Great views of the Clifton bridge and an exciting walk down to the cave before finishing upstairs in the observatory. If you enjoy photography then this is one place you must visit for fantastic views and overlooking the river Avon. Bristol is a lovely city and this is a great starting point and like I said Lisa on the desk is 10 outta 10 for a quality customer experience. Really enjoyed it
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 March 2024
  • BiffyClyro82
    Bath, United Kingdom26 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun and memorable activity for families.
    A fun afternoon out by the Clifton suspension bridge; we went to the cafe tucked behind the observatory which did very good drinks & cake with lots of open space for the children to play in. The only downside is the 1 x outside toilet which everyone seems to want to use at the same time! The staff reception were very friendly & accommodating, and we started with the caves first & fun Easter egg trail. The decent into the caves can be very steep, narrow & slippery-and difficult for people to pass-and there are hard hats available too, as I’m only 5’11 and I had to crouch down to avoid bumping my head (tall people beware). The unique view at the bottom is worth it! The ascent is somewhat easier. We then made it up through to the top of the observatory, which has a lot of interesting views (see pics). The camera obscura was really interesting as it’s only visible when the room is completely dark & the kids really enjoyed panning the view. The round trip takes just over an hr & provided a memorable & interesting family activity.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 April 2024
  • Josh T
    London, United Kingdom320 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good views of Clifton Suspension Bridge from the tower and caves
    Came here in late-September 2024. Explored all three floors of the observatory tower, with decent views overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge on the third floor. The camera obscura was an interesting experience. The caves leading down to the open air balcony on the cliff side have some steep steps and you do need to duck at points (they do provide hard hats at the start of your descent). We spent around 45 minutes here in total.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 4 October 2024
  • Andrew C
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Breakfast with Santa
    Breakfast with santa was amazing!! The food was lovely and well presented, it wasn’t too long of a wait. The staff were also very attentive making sure our hot drinks were always topped up, the young lady seating us was amazing and seemed very knowledgeable on where everyone was sat and our dietary needs, as well as the rest of the staff. The Santa was also great and the kids absolutely loved him!!
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 December 2024
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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles557 reviews
Excellent
234
Very good
206
Average
79
Poor
19
Terrible
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MrThomas1981
Ipswich, UK952 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
If you have made it up here and are paying the entrance fee you might as well do both the tower and the cave - its better value and gives you two different views of the bridge in one! The Camera obscura is fascinating and something to show the children. The view from the top is pretty good as well, despite the small windows. Going down into the cave it is quite steep and slippery in places - I would recommend shoes with proper grip - Flip flops, TOMS or other lightweight shoes will have you on your bum as soon as you set foot on the steps! Staff were friendly and they managed the visitors well to avoid being too close to other groups if you are worried about COVID.
Written 24 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steve B
Nottingham, UK313 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This can be visited at the same time as visiting Clifton Suspension Bridge, they are virtually next door to each other. If you use the, Tootbus Bristol Discovery Hop-on Hop-off Tour, the nearest stop (7) is 10 minues walk away.
The camera obscura is fairly small but the tower has interesting information about it and how it works.
Unless you are fairly fit and agile don't bother with the tunnel/cave down to the viewing platform as the view is not worth it for the effort, you can see better views from the bridge and the observatory grounds. The observatory buildings has a nice little cafe with outside seating on two levels. If you need to use the toilet facilities you will need to ask for the door code.
Written 23 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pblaings
Potters Bar, UK68 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022
Worth walking up to where the observatory is for the views of the bridge and river. We didn't pay to go up to the top of the observatory but did pay for the caves. £3 is a bit much to pay to walk down very steep steps which don't go down very far. The Observatory does have a nice cafe but I can imagine that in the summer it must be very difficult to get a table
Written 11 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

selsels
Bristol, UK15 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Family
Brunch with Santa: I have been to events at the clifton observatory previously which have been really good fun, but today was very disappointing! We had to wait to get in, staff seemed stressed, we waited 30 minutes for cold coffee and teas. We had to ask for our crackers and mimosas (only a few per table). Children had to wait 50-55 minutes for the food to come out! When it did finally come out the muffins weren’t toasted, eggs were cold and no water provided on the tables. Santa eventually came to see the children at the end, but he didn’t spend much time walking around and as he was so far away from the kids when he got to our table last, they couldn’t hear him ask what they wanted for Christmas. Overall not impressed for what we paid. Could have been a lovely experience. Surprised it didn’t go well seeing as the venue always holds big events like weddings, etc.
Written 8 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wisewonderer1223
Bristol, UK529 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
We attended an evening open air roof top live music event here, it was truly amazing. We were very lucky with wonderful weather, to listen to the string quartet playing Vivaldi pieces looking round at the stunning views as the sun started to set was an unforgettable romantic even experience topped off with some hot air balloons flying over the suspension bridge! The observatory was a great venue, the staff were really helpful. There is a bar and a cafe in the day time which we are going to return visit for. It is a shame that there is no parking near by.
Written 30 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Linda R
Sheffield, UK48 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Visited on quite a dull day so maybe that didn't help our experience. Place opens at 10.00. Arrived around 10.15 and decided to have a coffee first. Indoor seating for 360 Cafe not open and orders are taken at a little window. Unfortunately, they had 'run out' of cow's milk and only had soya, oat and almond milk on offer. Not sure how that happens as they had only just opened but we decided not to bother. Paid to go into the Camera Obscura (bearing in mind they opened at 10.00) and found the cleaners were still cleaning the place, hoovering the stairs and mopping the floors, which made them quite slippy. As my 88 year old father was with us, I was a bit concerned about this.
As I said, the weather wasn't great but we managed to see some things on the camera.
Explored the cave (88 year old didn't!!!), the stairs/steps quite challenging. Maybe the person on the desk could count people going in/coming out as it was uncomfortable - in these COVID times - to have to squeeze past people on the steep, narrow steps.
By the way, cafe still had no cow's milk when we came out. Maybe someone could have nipped tio the shop?
Written 29 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mark
London, UK72 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Family
A visit to the Bristol Observatory is a must for any visitor. The absolutely stunning views at any time of day or year… it’s a location that you will want to return to.

The cafe has a lovely roof terrace with views of the suspension bridge, and a great selection of drinks, all reasonably priced. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. We are really looking forward to our next visit!

I would particularly recommend the camembert focaccia, it was delicious! My son was particularly impressed with the selection of slushes and ice cream!
Written 24 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fotheringay
London, UK76 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
Excellent attraction at a reasonable cost. The camera obscura and the building that it is housed in were both very interesting. Take a little time here to get your eyes adjusted to make the most of a visit.

The trip down to the Giants Cave comes with warnings of steepness, slippery surfaces and tight spots. They are not joking! I found the hand rail essential and have never before experienced a twinge of claustrophobia and the same time as my mild vertigo. This is as close to 'caving' as I want to get, but the views and freshness at the bottom was worth it! There was even a cut out of a certain gentle man in a tall hat to welcome me when I got there.
Written 1 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

G G
London, UK80 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
The caves are an interesting idea, and the view of the bridge is probably very good, but don't even think about going if you're over 5 feet tall or have any problems with claustrophobia. We clearly went there on a busy day, because it soon became clear we would never make it to the bottom of the caves. There are a number of places where it's impossible for two people to pass, so unless the place is empty you'll be going backwards and forwards until you give up or have a panic attack (as someone did when we were attempting to get access). The camera obscura is quaint, but not worth the effort. The cafe is being badly affected by pandemic rules, so the choice of food or drink is hopeless. It turns out there's plenty of choice in the cafe itself, which is currently off-limits to the public.
Written 6 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dena f
California302 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022
The Observatory was fun to climb and a nice view. There's also a cafe attached that filled us up when we needed a snack but it wasn't remarkable. The cave was a tight space with stairs that were steep, natural and narrow. It would not be a good place when it's crowded as it's difficult to pass. The big kids enjoyed the story of the giants that 'made' the cave but our littlest wasn't allowed in due too the difficulty on the stairs.
Written 26 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CLIFTON OBSERVATORY AND CAVES (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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