Features / Bristicles
16 Bristol icons that aren’t very iconic
What does it take for something to become iconic? Does history, recognition or reputation play a part? The word has certainly got more diluted in recent years, with Bristol icons now much more than the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Here are a few more that we have noticed:
is needed now More than ever
1. The statue of Nipper the HMV dog
We can give thanks to the Bristol Post for proclaiming iconic status on buildings across Bristol. And not just buildings either. As well as the statue of Nipper on the corner of Park Row and Woodland Road, in recent days iconic status has also been bestowed on the Avon Gorge Hotel, the Cabot Tower, the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare and the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. We could have compiled this entire list from the Post but that would have been way too easy.
2. Dockside cranes
The cranes outside the M Shed are iconic. They even danced a little jig last year.
3. The Star & Garter
The Montpelier pub is iconic. This one is courtesy of those right-on smiters of Bristol wrongs The Bristol Cable.
4. Street art
Not just any old street art. These five pieces are iconic.
5. One Victoria Street
A refurbished office building is iconic. The recognition is not to be sniffed at. This does have excellent BREEAM standard accreditation, whatever that means.
6. The Air Balloon Tavern
This former St George pub is named iconic in an article which also bestows iconic status on the former Bell pub also in St George, and the Lord Rodney and Chequers in Kingswood.
7. Colourful houses
Bristol’s colourful houses are iconic. In fact, The Chromologist describes Bristol as having “colourfully iconic houses”.
8. The Thekla
The Thekla is iconic. Some of its club nights are certainly legendary. And of course it’s always hilarious to hear the latest quip from a band about playing on board a ship.
9. Colston Tower
If the Cabot Tower can be called iconic by the Bristol Post, the Colston Tower can be called iconic by a lift company.
10. M Shed
We’ve already had the cranes, and now it’s the museum building itself that is called iconic.
11. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
A good century older than its upstart sibling M Shed, and just as iconic.
12. The Tube Diner
Find the iconic Tube Diner at the Paintworks.
13. Clifton Observatory
Overlooking the Suspension Bridge, the iconic Clifton Observatory doesn’t want to be left out.
14. Rock & Bowl Motel
An iconic building, formerly Bristol’s Labour Exchange and now a retro bowling alley as well as a music venue and hostel.
15. Church ruins
A walk around the iconic ruins of Temple Church (above) and St Peter’s Church was organised as part of this month’s Walking Festival.
16. The Bristol DNA double helix model
The iconic model is said to perhaps be the best recognised representation of a biological molecule in the history of science.
Read more: 12 brilliantly Bristol road names