Overview

Bristol City Hall is an impressive building, arguably one of the most distinct city halls I've spent time in. Located in the College Green area of the city, work was completed on the building in 1956 after a substantial delay due to the Second World War. My eye was first drawn to the large reflection pool in front of the building, bordered by white flagpoles flying the flags of several countries. I then focused on the Neo-Georgian design of the building and found it rather breathtaking. With ramps on either side of the entrance, automatic doors, Braille signage throughout the building, and a Changing Places toilet, it's fair to say this building has a wide range of accessibility features. Let's see how this magnificent structure holds up.

Transport & Parking

I noticed that there are on-street parking spaces nearby on College Street and Deanery Road, which were all standard parking spaces. There are also six full-size accessible parking spaces at the back of City Hall. There's a super handy bus stop on College Green. The Cityline routes 1, 2, 2a, 3 and 4, as well as the Temple Meads Connection 8, routes 5, 71, 72, 77, the U2 Unibus and the Y6 South Glos Lynx all operate from this location. Bristol Temple Meads Station is around a mile away, though be aware that there's quite a hill on the way up to College Green. There are cycle paths along the route, so make sure not to wander onto them.

Access

The accessibility of City Hall is surprisingly good, with step-free access via a ramp on either side of the automatic doors at the entrance. Upon entering City Hall, there is a reception desk on your left with a lowered counter and large-print terms and conditions on display. The building has a combination of carpet and tile flooring throughout. Each meeting room I saw along the way had Braille on the door, which was great to see. A fixed hearing loop operates at this location, with visible signage at the check-in desk. There is a lift at City Hall, but it appeared to be for staff use only, so I wasn't able to document the space inside or confirm whether it has Braille markings. However, research since my visit suggests that it does. There are plenty of places to sit throughout the building and a quiet room next to the Changing Places toilet. I didn't see signage for further accessible toilets within the venue, but I understand there is at least one.

Toilets

Bristol City Hall has a fairly good Changing Places toilet. The signposting to the room isn't great, but if you go along the corridor to your right and look out for a door marked "Changing Places", you'll find it. There is a touch pad that opens the double doors into a carpeted room, and a second touch pad on your right that opens the door to the Changing Places toilet. In both cases, the doors open inwards. The toilet door is secured by lifting the handle. The room has a ceiling track hoist, an adjustable changing bed and an adjustable sink with a long lever-style tap and rails on either side. The blue toilet seat contrasts against the white toilet bowl, as do the rails on either side. The toilet has a soft backrest and both right-side and left-side transfer spaces. The red cord is on your right when seated and was hanging to the floor during my visit. The room has wetroom-style flooring but doesn't have a shower or a colostomy shelf.

Staff

The front desk and security staff were pleasant and helpful, but when I asked to speak to a manager regarding the accessibility of the venue – politely, of course – they seemed reluctant to speak to me. A security guard gave me a number to call, which I did, and I ended up speaking to the same person. However, I was given an email address to follow up with.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Inside this toilet, I found a red cord card like those provided by Euan’s Guide, with the exact same wording but the branding removed. That’s why I was looking to speak to a manager, to highlight where the cards come from and how to order them. I left some details, so I hope they replace these soon.

Photos