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11 Bristolian urban legends
Much of Bristol’s rich and colourful history is shrouded in mists of mystery and myth, from gruesome, to ghoulish, to downright ridiculous. We’ve selected some of our favourite urban legends from days of old and recent examples that prove the city still love a tall tale.
i. The Bristol Crocodile
Reported sightings of a scaly green creature lurking just beneath the water’s edge gave rise to the tale of the Bristol crocodile. Mythical or not, the reptilian rogue made headlines across the city, gained his own Twitter account and even starred in a short film
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ii. The Hatchet Door
Not one for the faint-hearted this one. Dating back to at least 1606, The Hatchet is one of Bristol’s oldest pubs and, according to legend, buried beneath the tar and paint on its front door there is a layer of human skin.
iii. ss Great Britain
Steeped in history, Brunel’s famous ship also hides some deep, dark secrets. These include the tale of Captain John Grey, who disappeared one night never to be seen again. It is said the sound of his heavy hobnail boots treading the decks can still be heard.
iv. Bristol Hum
Some still swear to this day it exists and many have offered perfectly plausible explanations, but the low-level hum that has allegedly plagued Bristol residents for generations has certainly made its way into the city’s folklore.
v. Zoo parking attendant
Bristol Zoo’s car park, so the story goes, was manned by one person for 23 years who charged people to park, until one day he didn’t turn up for work. It turned out the council had no record of his existence and he wasn’t employed by the zoo either, and the rumour is that he took off with the millions he had made.
vi. Aliens in the docks
Footage of a mysterious, glowing, alien-like creature floating in the waters around Bristol baffled experts and made headlines around the country. Alas, it turned out to be a stunt to promote a new TV show – a prank that went down a storm by all accounts.
vii. Odeon cinema ghost
Have you ever felt a chill pass over you during a film in Bristol’s historic cinema? It could be the ghost of Robert Parrington Jackson, the manager in 1946, who was shot dead during a screening. It is said he has haunted the building ever since.
viii. Llandoger Trow
Famed for its literary and nautical history, the King Street boozer also plays host to no less than 15 ghosts, so legend has it. Sightings of mysterious figures, in particular a man with a distinguishable limp, have been reported over the years. But then it could just be the beer talking.
ix. UFO sightings
It is the urban myth that keeps on returning – or perhaps truly evidence there is something else out there. Either way, repeated sightings of mysterious lights floating high above the city continue to baffle and amaze.
x. Blackboy hill
Despite Bristol’s slave trade history, the common assumption as to how Blackboy Hill got its name is actually a myth. Legend has it that the Georgian gentry gathered there for slave auctions – a claim dismissed by historians.
xi. Pembroke road
Beneath the stately façade of Pembroke Road, or Gallow’s Acre Lane, as some Clifton locals prefer to call it, lies a gruesome past. Legend has it that notorious highwayman, Jenkins Protheror, haunted the area at night after he was hung for his crimes.
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