History of Bristol

Photograph of Bristol civic center

Bristol is the largest city in the southwest of England, with a total population of just under one million residents in the city and surrounding areas.

While there have been settlements on the banks of the Avon for thousands of years, the actual city received a Royal Charter in 1155 and became a separate county in 1373.

As a result of its proximity to the Avon and the Severn Estuary beyond, Bristol has a strong seafaring history as a major UK port. Much of the development of the city was guided by the guild of 'Merchant Venturers', an organisation run by the various trading merchants of the city. The conference reception is held at Goldney House, a mansion house built by merchant Thomas Goldney overlooking the Port of Bristol.

During the 20th century the original city centre docks were replaced by the Avonmouth and Royal Portsbury docks to the north at the mouth of the river Avon. The city centre docks have now been redeveloped as a centre for business and heritage.

Today one of the key industries for Bristol is aerospace, with companies such as BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Finmechannica, EADS, MBDA and AgustaWestland all having facilities local to Bristol.

The University of Bristol received its royal charter in 1909 and has since grown to be one of the top universities in the UK as well as the largest independent employer in Bristol.

With such a depth of history the city provides a superb backdrop for the conference. Many attendees bring their wives or partners, for whom the conference staff are able to provide details of local sights and attractions.

Sites with further details of Bristol:

Note: the following are links to external sites. 

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