One of the best places to find street art in the country is in North Street Bristol. Located in the south of the city in Bedminster, the street and the roads leading off it are packed full of street art.
The area isn’t alone of course, Bristol has a reputation for street art and graffiti which goes back years and for many, the city is the birthplace of the scene in the UK. Look anywhere you like in the city and you’ll probably come across something, admittedly not all of it will be glorious but you will find something.
NORTH STREET BRISTOL – HOME OF UPFEST
North Street is one of the more curated areas in Bristol. It is on this street where the Upfest gallery sits and it is this gallery which lends its name to the Upfest festival which has grown massively in popularity in the 8 years in which it’s been running so far.
The area around the gallery has, as a result, become one of the best places to see street art in the city. Most of the work on North Street Bristol has emerged as a result of Upfest using the location for its street art festival and establishing a reputation for good quality mural curation.
A WALK ALONG NORTH STREET
Walking along the length of the street at a brisk pace might take around half an hour. Stopping to take pictures and sneaking up and down the various side streets were works and murals can be found, then give yourself at least an hour. Watch out too, it’s a busy road and there are pieces all around. It’s tempting to dart from one side to the other and back again to see everything but be mindful of the traffic.
When I visited I walked from the city centre and started at the Steam Crane pub at the southern end of the road, walking up to the Tobacco Factory where there are some great pieces. You can go further too, if you have the time you could pop down West Street and head towards the Redpoint Climbing Centre. These areas aren’t featured in this post but they are near if you wanted to make an afternoon of street art searching. But for now here are just some of the images that you might see if you ever did decide to potter along North Street.
Bristol’s North Street Gallery
North Street Bristol was first visited in September 2016. For more articles featuring the street art of Bristol, check out:
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