Smaller Parks

There are a few small parks close to Bristol city centre.

Castle Park, also known as Castle Green, is adjacent to Broadmead shopping centre, the Cabot Circus shopping centre and the Floating Harbour. This park was created after wartime bombing destroyed most of the medieval buildings which stood here. The foundations of Bristol Castle can still be seen here, as can the shells of two ruined churches, St Mary le Port and St Peter. The latter is maintained as a war memorial, and is surrounded by small formal gardens.

Brandon Hill lies between the city centre, Clifton and Hotwells. This steep park is separated into informal gardens, a small nature reserve and open grassland. The Avon Wildlife Trust headquarters sit beside the park, and at the summit is Cabot Tower, commemorating John Cabot, a pioneer who sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497.

Northwest of Broadmead shopping centre is St James' Park, a small park split into two sections by a sunken walkway which links Broadmead to St James' Church and Bristol Bus Station.

West of the city centre is College Green, fronted by historical buildings such as Bristol Central Library, Abbey Gatehouse and Bristol Cathedral. On its north-west side, behind a water feature, stands the Council House.

Queen Square is a public open space in the city centre. This large Georgian square carried the inner ring road from 1936 until 2000, when it was dismantled and the square restored.

There are many more parks in Bristol's suburbs.