The ACN Away Guide – Bristol City | OneFootball

The ground

This is a tough one for me to judge, as I haven’t yet ticked Ashton Gate off my list. However, fellow ACNer Matthew McGregor informs me that it is an excellent ground, with friendly fans, outdoor food stalls that back onto the stands, and a tasteful renovation that has led to top class facilities without the loss of any old school charm.

Getting There (From Norwich)

If you’re taking the train, you’ll first need to head to London to catch a connection from Paddington, with the journey taking about four hours in all.

If you’re driving, first head down the A14. When you reach Cambridge, you can head south via the A11 and M25 before heading west along the M4. However, it can be easier to remain on the A14, before taking the M6, M42 and M5 past Birmingham.

Bristol city offer a matchday bus service from Portway Park & Ride and Brislington Park & Ride, which they strongly recommend fans utilise. Before the game, the first bus is 2 hours and 30 minutes before kick off, the last is 30 minutes before kick-off. Buses back run for 3 hours and 30 minutes from full time.

Official parking at Ashton Gate is available off Winterstoke Road, operated by YourParkingSpace (advance booking recommended). Unofficial parking is offered by Ashton Event Parking (Clanage Road), DJ Matchday Parking (Cala Trading Estate), The Big Parking (Hotwells Lane).

Where to drink

Bristol is one of the great pub cities of Britain. As such, you’d be hard pressed to go wrong. However, my recommendation is the Highbury Vaults just north of the city centre. This traditional pub features a snug, a little electric train that runs throughout, and a bar billiard table.

Footy Scran

Wapping Warf on Bristol’s Harbourside offers loads of food options. Pick of the bunch for me is Cargo 2, a collection of shipping containers containing a range of small stalls selling everything from fish and chips, to vegan sandwiches, to pizzas.

Things to See and Do

Do you like local history? Do you like alternative music? Do you like a dose of pop culture with your football? Let’s be honest, you’re reading Along Come Norwich, of course you do. In that case, head down the M Shed, a museum that takes you through the history of Bristol through its people (including some great displays on City and Rovers, alongside props from locally-based Aardman animations).

More broadly, Bristol is a fantastic city to explore. Be sure to take in the iconic sites of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and SS Great Britain, or look out for some Banksy street-art.

Fun Fact

The first modern bungee jumps were made in Bristol in 1979, by members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Society from Clifton Suspension Bridge.