Bristol 

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Bristol is the West Country’s liveliest city; it is home to big business and in particular is a centre for aerospace and new technologies. In addition to this it has a university and many other colleges, giving it a large student population which make for a lively place offering plenty of shops, a vibrant youth culture, a varied nightlife and a lively music scene with well known Trip Hop acts such as Tricky, Massive Attack, Portishead and Drum and Bass pioneer Roni Size all hailing from Bristol.

Bristol has been a prominent commercial port from the 10th century onwards and became a county in its own right in 1373 when John Cabot set sail from here and discovered North America. The Society of Merchant Venturers who led the way in discovering the New World countries for Britain was incorporated here in 1552.

Bristol Cathedral started out as an Augustinian monastery in 1148 and Bristol can also claim the world’s oldest Methodist chapel, which was built by John Wesley in 1739. Less than thirty years later the Theatre Royal was built in the city and since then has been home to the Bristol Old Vic, one of the country’s finest theatre companies.

• Perhaps the most attractive part of the town is Clifton with its Georgian buildings and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge, which crosses the Avon. The more famous of the city’s bridges is of course the Severn Bridge, which was opened in 1966 and links England and Wales. As Bristol is part of the West Country it is surrounded by suitably rolling hills and picturesque countryside.