With just over a week to go until the third BS4 arts trail, we wanted to share some route ideas to help make the most of your trail weekend as there is so much to see and do! We’ve suggested shortcuts between venues that take you through some of our beautiful woodlands and meadows, and things to do each day, as some venues are only open on one of the days. We would love to know how much of it you manage to see! With any of these suggested routes, you can do them in reverse too. The routes suggested here would be best for Saturday 15th June as the Brislington Village Market is only on that day.
All home venues will be open from 11am to 5pm. Community venue timings differ – please see Visitor FAQs for full details on what is open when.
Begin where it began
If you don’t have a printed map yet, you’ll need one so grab one from These Two Hands at 83, Sandy Park Road (Venue 12 – open from 10am both days before the rest of the trail opens) and enjoy a coffee and pastry at Kin opposite (Venue 11 and also open early from 9am) with guest art and live music while you figure out your route. Head right and around the corner from Kin cafe and you’ll find abstract artist Nick Hope in is home studio (Venue 14). Then go back over Sandy Park road to explore 3 great home venues along Harrow Road where you can browse art by Dona B Drawings (Venue 8) and Angela Davies (Venue 10) where you can book on to try Tetra Pak printing, and Emma Lucy McArthur where you can try lino printing (Venue 9). Then head left to join Wick Road where you can discover more great local art by Tessa Wilkinson (Venue 23) and Vernon Hewitt Landscapes (Venue 24) on a loop back around to one of our main community venues – St Cuthbert’s Church (Venue 13). Here you’ll find 15 different artists and makers and FREE drop in art workshops for young kids from 11am to 3pm on Saturday and 12pm to 3pm on Sunday. If you’re hungry from all of this exploring already, the brilliant Pukka Peacock restaurant on Sandy Park Road are doing a special all day arts trail brunch where you can enjoy delicious Indian takes on brunch classics.
From St Cuthbert’s Church you have 2 choices – Option 1A: head on down along Wick Road towards Wendy Calder ceramics to have a go on the potters wheel. Pop down Upper Sandhurst Road on your left to see local poet Liz Cashdan (Venue 16) and artist Simon Reeves (Venue 15) in their home studios too. Further along Wick Road, you’ll come to St Anne’s Terrace where you’ll find Emily Denny’s beautiful ceramics studio (Venue 21) and around the corner on St Anne’s Park Road is Jessie Abstract’s stunning garden studio (Venue 20 – image below).
Cross through St Anne’s Park to find Wendy Calder’s wonderful ceramics studio on Arlington Road (Venue 19) and have a go on the potter’s wheel with her for free (11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm both days). After a stop at Wendy’s, head down 2 streets to Highworth Road and explore the home studio of local jeweller Jo (Redbird Makes) shared with her friends EcoTribo (Venue 18), and loop back around to The Langton Pub (Venue 22) where there are 4 lovely artists downstairs and a free arts and crafts table for kids.
From The Langton pub, you can head over Newbridge Road and cut down through the beautiful St Anne’s Woods to finish at St Anne’s House (Venue 17). There you will find 15 artists, food and drink, live music and lego printing with Little Leaf Press (book a place on her website), as well as their tenant artist’s open studios, exhibitions and more workshops. There’s food and drink from CiboMatto and the Bricks bar, and it’s a great place to finish the trail. If you want a bit more food and drink before you go home to soak in all you’ve seen, you can pop round the corner to Lost & Grounded brewery for some great locally crafted beers and cider. Ardito’s Kitchen will be serving delicious street food – nachos, tacos and arepas. They‘re open till 10pm (Saturday opening only) so it’s a great place to finish on Saturday if you want to keep going till late.
Or Option 1B: From St Cuthbert’s Church, cut down Hollywood Road to St Luke’s Church Hall (Venue 27a & 27b) for free drop in interactive art sessions all day and the Brislington Village Market which is on the Saturday only, 11am to 4pm. Here you’ll find live music, food stalls and other community stalls. The Nightingale Valley Community Choir will be performing outside St Luke’s Church Hall at 11.30am. Be sure to visit a local favourite Colin aka Bristol Woodturning in his garden studio at 3 Glenarm Walk (Venue 25) to see him carving his wooden toys and bowls. Then head around the corner to Seamus’ Den home studio (Venue 26 – image below) where he creates line drawings studying the human form in oils and charcoals.
Stroll up Church Hill and through Victory Park and The Meadows to The Glass Loft (Venue 31) where you can discover 5 great local makers and artists, have a go at cutting glass, or try one of the many free print workshops by Maria of Bristol Print Museum (see workshops page for full details and timings). After all of that, why not have a well deserved rest with a locally brewed beer at Hop Union brewery, where you’ll discover more artists and makers (Venue 30). They’re open till 9pm so there’s no rush although the artists will be packing up at 5pm.
If you’ve still got time and energy, you’re up for a bit more nature and walking and you didn’t choose option 1A earlier, you can head from Hop Union to Nightingale Valley via Woodcroft Orchard and follow Brislington Brook through the woods to Emily Dennys’s beautiful ceramics studio (Venue 21). The walk from Hop Union to here will take a good half hour. From Emily’s studio it’s a short wander up the road to Jessie’s Abstract’s beautiful garden studio (Venue 20) and then through St Anne’s Park to Wendy Calder’s ceramics studio (Venue 19) where you can have a go on the potters wheel and explore work by Wendy. Jo of Redbird Makes jewellery is around the corner from Wendy (Venue 18) and the Langton Pub is just a few doors away (Venue 22) with 4 artists downstairs and free creative arts table for kids. If you’re in need of something to eat by now, check out the Langton’s delicious menu!
