Parks and Open Spaces in The Central Area
The Centre Promenade is a paved, largely pedestrianised area built over the culverted River Frome. Known locally as the Centre, many local bus services terminate here.
Castle Park is adjacent to the Broadmead and Cabot Circus shopping centres and the Floating Harbour. The park was created after wartime bombing damaged much of the pre-war shopping area which stood here. The ruined shells of two churches, St Peter and St Mary le Port, still stand in the park (with the aid of concrete reinforcements) and the foundations of Bristol Castle are also a feature. There are small formal gardens around St Peter's church, which is maintained as a war memorial. Bristol City Council has confirmed its intention to redevelop the area around St Mary-le-Port church. The project area includes a part of Castle Park to the west of St Peter's Church.
To the west of the city centre lie Berkeley Square and Brandon Hill. At the summit of Brandon Hill, the Cabot Tower commemorates John Cabot, a pioneer who sailed in 1497 from Bristol to Newfoundland. Brandon Hill is steep and is divided into informal gardens, a small nature reserve and open grassland. The Avon Wildlife Trust headquarters are beside the park.
Surrounded with high wrought-iron railings to the northwest of Broadmead shopping centre, St James' Park is a small former churchyard divided by a sunken walkway which links Broadmead to St James' Church and Bristol Bus Station.
West of the city centre between Bristol Cathedral and the Council House is College Green, a popular meeting place for street sports enthusiasts.
Queen Square is a large Georgian square south of the city centre. In 1936 the Square was bisected diagonally by Bristol's inner circuit road. Traffic has now been diverted, and the restored Square has received a number of awards including a Green Flag Award, the Landscape Institution Landscape and Heritage Award.
King Square (restored in 1993), Brunswick Square and Portland Square are also Georgian and lie to the north of the city centre.
The Bear Pit, a sunken space within St James Barton roundabout long seen to be in need of improvement, is due to be significantly enhanced during 2013.
Read more about this topic: Parks Of Bristol
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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