People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Charlotte Bowyer
Charlotte Bowyer is a medievalist and social media creator posting as @lady_of_the_mercians
Her short videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok often focus on Bristol’s lesser-known historic sites, from mansions found in bin stores to the city’s ancient churches.
These are Charlotte’s top-five Bristol favourites:
is needed now More than ever
The Rummer
The Rummer is now found in the middle of St Nick’s Market – photo: Martin Booth
“To me, the Rummer is the most atmospheric pub in Bristol. Established in 1742, the building is a fascinating blend of styles and features borrowed from older sites; I think the Tudor fireplace found just up the staircase is a particularly interesting example. The Rummer Hotel was once the haunt of the Romantic poets William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey, and the current owners have done a fantastic job of maintaining this historic feel, while stocking plenty of locally produced drinks.”
Ashton Court Mansion
“Ashton Court sounds like an obvious one, but have you actually been inside the house? On the site’s open days, the Friends of Ashton Court Mansion often run ‘hard hat tours’ that allow you to explore the derelict upper floors of the mansion, while providing some much-needed money for the site’s continued support. The grounds are also beautiful, and it’s worth exploring to find the icehouse, rose garden and pet graveyard.”
Second Page
Second Page is Bristol’s largest independently owned second-hand bookshop with more than 15,000 books across all categories and niches – photo: Second Page
“Second Page is a brilliant second-hand bookshop found on the top floor of the Galleries. I truly believe you can find anything in there. Mostly, I like looking at the fantasy paperbacks but last time I visited, I found a fabulous 19th century guide to Old Icelandic grammar.”
The Cloakroom
There is an abundance of original features in the Cloakroom cafe – photo: Martin Booth
“Who doesn’t want to drink coffee in a renovated Edwardian public toilet? I wrote half of my PhD applications from a sink-desk in the Cloakroom, a tiny cafe conveniently located at the bottom of Woodland Road. It is immaculately clean (I promise) and the staff are very friendly.”
Kings Weston Roman Villa
Kings Weston Roman Villa is a Scheduled Ancient Monument with the site consisting of a grass-covered area with low stone walls – photo: Martin Booth
“Bath gets a lot of credit for its Roman history but Bristol also has a surviving Roman villa! You have to book a free ‘private viewing’ ticket from Blaise Museum to visit Kings Weston Roman Villa in Lawrence Weston, but it is well worth the trouble. The mosaics are beautiful and it’s so rare to be able to visit these historic places in such privacy. If you want to stare at Roman walls in silence for a couple of hours, this is an unparalleled experience.”
Main photo: Charlotte Bowyer
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