Living in Bristol, I constantly look for what to do in the weekends. Here’s my cup of tea: Visit a nearby market town to see a vibrant market, have a good lunch, or go hiking. Will there be something for you too?
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Market Town near Bristol
Many Bristol nearby towns have their own characters and good restaurants worth trying. Plus, parking is much easier and cheaper, isn’t it?
Bath
How far from Bristol: 30 mins drive
If you’re living in Bristol, I believe you’ve been to Bath before, right? But do you know there’s a very much worth-seeing bridge in Bath?
This is an 18th-century Palladian bridge, one of the four left in the world. Its impressive symmetry and decorative Corinthian pillars are inspired by a Venetian architect called Andrea Palladio.
The bridge is in a National Trust, Prior Park in Bath. Normal tickets at £11, free entry on Heritage Open Day.
MasterChef’s Food with Rolling Hills View
Newly opened in Feb 2024, Lilliput Farm Kitchen is a great restaurant to go to if you visit Cotswold or Bath. The head chef is Ieuan Davies, who appeared in the quarter-finals of MasterChef, creates beautiful and delicious food mostly using on-site fresh produce.
They have a lunch set menu on Saturday too. £30 for 2 courses; £35 for 3 courses; both include a glass of wine or soft drink/mocktail.
Look at the view!
Abergavenny (Wales)
How far from Bristol: 1 hour drive
Abergavenny is lively and energetic despite its small size. There is an indoor market opens 4 days a week, high-quality bakeries such as Angel Bakery and Ty Melin Bakery. It has plenty of independent shops and also good dining options like small-plates restaurant The Gaff, local-beloved Italian restaurant Casa Bianca, and Turkish’s favourite Anatolian.
Eating at a Chapel
One more thing I recommend to do in Abergavenny is to eat in a chapel. This cafe is really lovely and so does the food!
More details on this blog post.
Ross-On-Wye
How far from Bristol: 1 hour drive
Go for a morning hike at Yat Rock, then walk along the River Wye, have a good lunch, roam around the lovely town to browse charity shops and independent stores.
One particularly impressive is The Architectural Store, selling lightings, unique furnitures, art crafts, all kind of homewares…take a look of their website to grab a glimpse.
The Best-Rating Restaurant
For the time being, NO3 is the highest-Google-rating restaurant where we visited for a Saturday lunch was a full house. For lunch, they have a light bites menu alongside the main one.
The Catch of the Day — pan-fried hake fillet with samphire, purple sprouting broccoli and a wild garlic velouté, perfecto! (It nudged me to cook samphire for the first time!)
I like the harmonious deco, relaxing ambience and good service, too!
Nailsworth
How far from Bristol: 40 minutes drive
Nailsworth is a small town which often overlooked. There is a farmers’ market on every 4th Saturday of the month which draws people from nearby towns. Surprisingly, there are a handful of nice fashion stores, like James Lear of Arundel Ltd. (mens), Domestic Science (fashion and homewares) and Joya (socks).
Seafood Lovers’ Paradise
I believe, William’s must be doing something outstandingly since 1975, let him long being THE SEAFOOD spot in Nailsworth. Plenty of choices even on lunch. Very popular at both restaurant and fishmonger.
These are, well, seafood price. Here is a lunch menu to give you some idea.
Hiking
Do you like hiking? I do! Bristol has easy access to the mountains in Wales, and Mendip hills, where the beautiful Cheddar Gorge sits.
Sugar Loaf (Wales)
How far from Bristol: 1 hour drive
Feel like warming up the body? What about a moderate hike to Sugar Loaf? There’s a car park nearby if you prefer walking less.
I’ve written another post for the Sugar Loaf Hiking, check it out here.
Pen y Fan (Wales)
How far from Bristol: 1.5 hour drive
Also in Wales, Pen y Fan (886m.) offers you a fantastic view on a sunny day. Check out my another post.
Cheddar Gorge
How far from Bristol: 40 minutes drive
The view to the gorge is just WONDERFUL. Not too strenuous. You can finish the hiking loop in around 2 hours. Many shops in the village, too. Check out for more useful informations on this post.
Farmers’ Market
I’m always seeking for farmers’ market because it’s the most lovely thing to do on a weekend morning. However, many markets take place on weekdays. Would somebody please tell them (don’t know who) to put the market on weekend per favor?
Stroud Farmers’ Market
How far from Bristol: 50 minutes drive
It got very vibrant every Saturday. Up to 90 stalls selling fresh local produce, meat and cheese, bakeries and pastries, colourful flowers, antiques, art crafts, accessories…all you can name. By far the best farmers’ market I’ve seen in the UK.
If you like whole food, check out Loose also. It’s a plastic-free shop where you scoop your desired quantity of food. They have a selection of VintageMary stuffs — good price, high quality!
Where to Eat
You may find it difficult to resist the sweet treats or hot sausage rolls from the market, but leave some room for The Corner House. They have burgers, salads, sharing platters at a fairly reasonable price.
Farm Shop
I have a thing for farm shop — fresh, colourful, artisan, something different that not always M&S is the best.
Over Farm (Gloucester)
How far from Bristol: 50 minutes drive
An ambitious farm shop not only offering a wide range of fresh produce, meats, deli, but also a huge playground for children, the popular PYO strawberry and sunflower, and even let you try to fly a microlight!
Where to Eat
Selected by Queen Elizabeth II, Severn & Wye Smokery has once listed as Michelin, and now, still very popular and is supplying to many top chefs and online shops.
Jolly Nice Farm Shop (Stroud)
How far from Bristol: 50 minutes drive
Locally grown produce, artisan food, plants, home goods, and maybe animals, too! Jolly Nice has all of them. Love the vibe, and plenty of parking space.
Where to Eat
There is a cafe onsite and the pretty-good-looking burger photo tempted me to try. But sadly, it left me with disappointment that the burger had no tomato nor pickles, but a wretched piece of lettuce. Consider it costs £11.95 without fries, it was pretty expensive.
BUT, the hot chocolate was so darn good and surprised me that they used REAL and DARK 70% chocolate — the French chocolatiers — Valrhona.
My advice: Perhaps get some other good food at pay-as-you-can The Long Table or the riverside Felt Cafe, then have a supreme hot chocolate at Jolly Nice.
If You Fancy A Scenic View…
A stone throw from Stroud is Selsley Common and Coaley Peak. I haven’t yet been to Selsley Common but it’s on my list. Coaley Peak requires no climbing at all, since a car park is just next to it.
Leaf and Ground (Dursley)
How far from Bristol: 40 minutes drive
On Google Maps, Leaf and Ground is shown as a cafe but it’s more than that. It also sells plants, gardening tools, artisan foods and drinks, and a small amount of local produce, zero waste and fresh milk.
The biggest selling point is that they have a 20 acre green area for you to roam around. Isn’t it a good idea to take a walk after eating a good lunch?
Where to Eat
Dursley is a small market town. It may not have much to offer, but Parsonage53 caught my attention.
Fantastic lunch set menu offering 2 course for £18, or 3 course for £21.
We particularly loved the starter – duck leg salad – so fresh and singing in different textures with pomegranates and hazel nuts.
My quest for weekend getaway will never end, I guess.
Too many blue dots on my Google maps now. When I get to know them, I’ll put my thoughts here and update the post: Usk, Cirencester, Cheltenham, Wells, Frome, Bruton, Exeter……So please come back and check out for my latest updates!
Have a lovely weekend! 🙂
