Whilst Bristol residents often refer to The Downs, they may not realise that it actually consists of two adjacent downs, Clifton Down and Durdham Down - two large, historic, grassed green spaces of about 400 acres.
Although on the edge of the city, the Downs feels like open countryside, with their wide views of the Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods, north Somerset, the Severn estuary and across to south Wales, and as I have found out this weekend, are a great place to spend winter days.
The Downs covers a wide area north of Clifton Suspension Bridge, almost to Henleaze and Westbury on Trym. The wide grassy green spaces are edged with mature natural woodland and popular residential districts, and are so peaceful (and deserted!) in February that it feels like you're in the countryside. Wrap up warm and take a Thermos, and you could have a lovely day out, as I have found this weekend.
Nearly all parts of the grass areas of the Downs are flat and fully accessible to wheelchair users with no obstacles. A drawback for the wheelchair-bound is that many of the paths along the western edge of the Downs bordering on the Gorge are narrow and have steep inclines or steps, but you can actually plan a route using the Bristol City Council website, www.bristol.gov.uk.
I can't recommend it enough.
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