Bristol’s iconic landmarks are set to play a bigger role in the city’s future, as new investment and restoration projects get underway. The Clifton Suspension Bridge, one of the South West’s most photographed sites, will undergo essential maintenance work this autumn, with the Clifton end of the bridge due to close overnight for three weeks
00:00Bristol's iconic landmarks are set to play a bigger role in the city's future as new investment and restoration projects get underway.
00:10The Clifton Suspension Bridge, one of the southwest's most photographed sites, will undergo essential maintenance work this autumn,
00:20with the Clifton end of the bridge due to close overnight for three weeks.
00:25Engineers say that the work is vital to protect the 159-year-old structure from its long-term weather damage,
00:32with funding coming from the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust and the Department for Transport.
00:39But what Bristol monuments are locals really wanting to stand the test of time? Let's chat to them to find out.
00:46I was walking the dogs up near Brandon Hill, and obviously there's that tower at the top, and that's really, really nice.
00:54Yeah, I used to go up there when I was younger, so it's nice to go back there now I'm a bit older and spend some time up there.
00:59Oh, and the boat and the dots?
01:05Oh, well, obviously the suspension bridge is the most obvious one. I suppose the Cabot Tower is another one.
01:15Down by the harbour side. There's plenty to pick from.
01:20Meanwhile, a Cabot Tower scaffolding has gone up for the first time in over a decade.
01:27A Bristol City Council begins a £400,000 restoration programme.
01:32The 105-foot tower, which has stood on Brandon Hill since 1897, has faced complaints over crumbling stonework and accessibility issues.
01:41Council officers say that the goal is to reopen the viewing platform to the public by next spring, ahead of the tower's 130th anniversary.
01:50Local heritage groups have welcomed the move, but called for a clearer long-term strategy to protect Bristol's lesser-known historic sites.
01:59We should be proud of the city. It's done a lot. I keep hearing people trying to put this down, but as far as I'm concerned, white Londoners come here to live, then complain about it.
02:14It's all much better in London, but they stay in Bristol.
02:18I think definitely. I think especially if there are kind of parks associated or near it as well, I think that's a really nice thing. Definitely.
02:27And why do you think it's important for us to kind of maintain these iconic tourist attractions?
02:33Well, historically they're very interesting, but they're also things which will bring visitors in, which is good for the city, obviously, and for the general region, I think.
02:46So it would be a good idea to look after them. I'm not entirely certain that building towers in the middle of the city is a good idea, but there you go. That's a different question, I suppose.
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