Bristol

Bristol

Location Map ( geo)

The Clifton Suspension Bridge

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County

Gloucestershire • Somerset

Highway Authority

Bristol

Forward Destination on

M5 • M32 • M49 • A4 • A37 • A38 • A4174

Next Primary Destinations

Avonmouth • Bath • Bridgwater • Gloucester • London • Newport • Taunton • Weston-super-Mare

Other Nearby Primary Destinations

Chippenham

Places related to the M5

Avonmouth • Birmingham • Bridgwater • Bromsgrove • Cheltenham Spa • Droitwich Spa • Exeter • Gloucester • Taunton • Tewkesbury • Wellington (Somerset) • West Bromwich • Weston-super-Mare • Worcester

Places related to the A4

Avonmouth • Bath • Brentford • Central London • Chippenham • Hammersmith • Hounslow • Hungerford • London • Maidenhead • Marlborough • Newbury • Reading • Slough • The City • West End

Places related to the A37

Dorchester • Shepton Mallet • Weymouth • Yeovil

Places related to the A38

Alfreton • Birmingham • Bodmin • Bridgwater • Bromsgrove • Burton upon Trent • Derby • Droitwich Spa • Exeter • Gloucester • Lichfield • Liskeard • Mansfield • Plymouth • Ripley • Saltash • Taunton • Tewkesbury • Torpoint • Wellington (Somerset) • Worcester

This article is about the city and Primary Destination.
For the Highway Authority, see Bristol Council.

Bristol is the sixth largest city in England lying in the West Country and having major docks on the River Avon. It is unusual in that it is both split across two historic counties, Gloucestershire and Somerset, and has a Lord Lieutenant in its own right - the latter being based upon its former status as a County Corporate, an early form of County Borough.

There are several important bridges in the Bristol area, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Avonmouth Bridge and the Bedminster Bridge, as well as Gordano Services on the M5. The Almondsbury Interchange between M5 and M4 is located to the northwest of the city.

History

1927 map of Bristol

A brief comparison of the two maps to the left will show just how much the road network of Bristol developed in the 1930s - little would have been achieved in the immediate post-war years. In the last fifty years there have been even more changes - the arrival of the motorways for starters, not to mention the grand schemes of the A4044 and A4174 - the first partly dismantled and the second still incomplete!

1953 map of Bristol

Routes

Route	To	Notes
M5	The MIDLANDS, SOUTH WALES,Gloucester, Cheltenham, (Chepstow), (M4)	For South Wales (M4 West), the M49 can be used. From the City Centre, the M32 can be used for the M4.
M5	The SOUTH WEST, Bridgwater, Taunton
M32	The MIDLANDS, SOUTH WALES, (Swindon), (Reading), London, (M4)	Bristol City Centre to M4 via Bristol Parkway Railway Station and Northern Bristol, as well as Ring Road.
M49	SOUTH WALES, Newport, Cardiff, (M4)	From M5/A4 to M4 with no other junctions. Second Severn Crossing (M4 West) requires Toll Money. No access to M48/Chepstow/Services, use M5
A4	Bath
A4	Avonmouth, (M49)
A37	Shepton Mallet, Wells (A39)
A38	Taunton, Bristol Airport
A4174	Bristol Ring Road	Incomplete Ring. From M32 around the Eastern, Northern and Southern of Bristol.
A38	Patchway, Gloucester (M4, M5)
A369	Portishead
A370	Weston-super-Mare
A420	Kingswood, Chippenham
A431	Hanham, Bath
A432	Fishponds, Stapleton, Horfield (M32, M4, M5)
A4018	Westbury on Trym, Gloucester (A38) (M4, M5, M32)
B3128	Clevedon
B4054	Stoke Bishop
B4055	Severn Beach
B4058	Iron Acton
B4465	Dodington Ash