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, enjoy good food or go hiking. Is there anything for you too?
In this Blog Post
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—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.
Abergavenny (Wales)
How Far—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—1 hour drive
Go for a morning hike at Yat Rock (further details below), 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 on their website to grab a glimpse.
Best-Rating Food
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. I like the harmonious deco, relaxing ambience and good service, too!
Nailsworth
How Far—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.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
How Far—1.5 hour drive
A beautiful and relaxing Shakespeare town — but prepare to see groups of tours; it’s not a bad thing, as the vibe feels even more vacated. If you’re not into literature, the Tudor architecture will keep your camera busy enough.
Dine in 16th Century
One of the popular restaurants in town, Lambs ambience is particularly attractive — open beams structure dating back to the early 16th century — cosy and unforgettable. Offers lunch set at 2-course for £23.5.
Hiking
Do you like hiking? I do! Bristol has easy access to the mountains in Wales, Mendip hills — where the beautiful Cheddar Gorge sits, and the gorgeous Somerset and Devon.
Sugar Loaf (Wales)
How Far—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.
Skirrid (Wales)
How Far—1 hour drive
Skirrid is one of the peaks in Abergavanny and sits just opposite to Sugar Loaf. Lower than that and summit at 486m, Skirrid is still a popular hiking spot given its stunning panoramic view. Be prepared for a steep ascend. Enjoy a great pub at The Crown at Pantygelli or numerous restaurants at Abergavanny.
Cwmcarn Forest (Wales)
How Far—1 hour drive
In just about an hour, you’ll be rewarded with a photogenic panoramic view with some lovely wild sheep and cows! It’s typhoon-like windy on top, though. This path is 4 km long, gains 270 m in height, and is marked as strenuous. Proper hiking shoes are recommended.
The on-site cafe only serves light food, so we headed to Newport Market to fuel ourselves. The Mexican street food there was quite good!
Puzzlewood
How Far—30 mins drive
Some reviews say this is a magical world — yes, maybe for a city dweller. For those who often go to nature, probably Puzzlewood would leave you puzzling, ‘Why am I paying to see nature?’
But even so, it’s still a good chance to see mossy trees and matcha chocolate everywhere. Plus, one of the Star Wars movies was shooting here. Good reason enough to visit, isn’t it?
For good food, a 5-min drive leads you to a AA Rosette awarded restaurant, Tudor Farmhouse, which dated back to 13th century. Excellent homemade bread too!
Eagle Nest
How Far—half hour drive
Eagle Nest is one of the iconic scenic spots in the famous Wye Valley. Park in the lower car park and pick the so-called strenuous path. It’s not difficult at all! The whole loop only requires about 1 hour to finish. More details on this blog post.
To eat, head to Monmouth and enjoy a handful of independent stores. We tried some Bangladeshi street food, Kutir. (Now only open for dinners)
Symonds Yat Rock
How Far—1 hour drive
Love walking along the river and then go up the hill. There’re many different paths that suit everybody’s level.
Tip: Download offline map in advance. Even EE got zero signal there. For food, there’s an inn located next to the east car park. Very vibrant atmosphere.
Pen y Fan (Wales)
How Far—1.5 hour drive
Also in Wales, Pen y Fan (886m.) offers you a fantastic panoramic view on a sunny day. Check out my another post.
British Camp (Malvern Hills)
How Far—1 hour drive
Being a historical landmark dating back to 3500 years ago, British Camp offers stunning view after a rather steep ascend. See more history here. Spacious car park at the starting point.
Magor Marsh (Wales)
How Far—half hour drive
Not really a hike but a very pleasant wetland walk. You can expect some wild animals and if with luck, something you’ve never seen. And we appreciate a fun and knowledgable quiz while walking. A small and free car park on site. Hardly anybody even on a sunny weekend. Learn more here.
Cheddar Gorge
How Far—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 searching 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—50 minutes drive
It gets very vibrant (and crowded) 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!
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 an attractive price.
Farm Shop
I have a thing for farm shop — fresh, colourful, artisan, something different.
Over Farm (Gloucester)
How Far—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!
I didn’t try the farm shop cafe, instead, went for the popular Severn & Wye Smokery. Once listed on Michelin and selected by Queen Elizabeth II, is still supplying to many top chefs and online shops.
Jolly Nice Farm Shop (Stroud)
How Far—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.
There is a cafe onsite and a 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 its costs without fries, it was pretty expensive.
BUT, their hot chocolate was so darn good, surprisingly using the French chocolatiers — Valrhona, with a REAL and DARK 70% chocolate.
Other options: Try pay-as-you-can The Long Table or Felt Cafe by the riverside.
Viewpoint Nearby
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—40 minutes drive
Leaf and Ground is shown as a cafe on Google Maps 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?
There is a lovely cafe at Leaf and Ground, too! Their food receives positive feedbacks from customers, and I can only say the seasonings is spot on! Online reservation is available here.
Walk in Bristol
People living in Bristol is blessed with lots of nature area without stepping out of the city. Soak yourself in greens, relax and recharge.
Blaise Castle
Blaise Castle Estate has a generous play area for kids, a museum, a few walking trails and, of course, a castle. It’s for decorative, not a big one though. Enough for a 2-hour leisure walk after lunch.
Speaking of food, Michelin-listed, The Blaise Inn would be my first choice. I tried the Sunday roast which is hearty and well priced, although I think Caper and Cure is better, in terms of flavour. However, the starter, smoked duck salad with candied walnuts and pickled beets was pretty good (picture below).
Chew Valley Lake
A peaceful and pleasant lake walk near Chew Magna, south Bristol. If you like seafood, the once -Michelin-listed Lazy Lobster could be one option. But I must get you a heads-up, their small plate is really small. Read more in this blog post.
I guess my quest for weekend getaway will never end. Too many blue dots on Google maps now. Hopefully when I get to know them, I’ll put my thoughts here and update the post. So please come back and check out for the latest updates!
Meanwhile, have a lovely weekend! 🙂
