Banksy Guide to Bristol: Free Walking Tour of Bristol

Bristol is a really cool English city. Banksy is a really cool and famous street artist from Bristol. Here’s my guide for you to catch his major original works while wandering the city centre of Bristol.

Follow my directions for this fun treasure-hunt of a guide to one of England’s most artistic cities!

With this guide, you can see the city of Bristol, as well as some amazing art along the way. You’ll see some Banksy, but also some amazing other street art by lesser-known artists. This guide is perfect for any Banksy fan visiting Bristol for the first time, or for someone casually interested in art and seeing the city.

Tour companies and apps will charge you for this kind of guide, but here I spell it all out for you—for free.

Bristol is accessible from any city in the UK via train. From London, Bristol is about an hour and 45 minutes away via train.

Once you’re there, here’s a list of Banksy works to see. Start with #1, and follow to explore the city and see the art along the way.

I have only included current works on this list, and ones that are actual Banksy originals in the city of Bristol. There are more, but they are further on the outskirts of the city, and some are not confirmed Banksy originals. These ones are easily the best, and perfect to see during a day trip to Bristol.

Note for non-British visitors: the numbers and letters next to each title are the postcodes for each artwork. Unlike American postcodes, British postcodes are very specific and can lead you to the exact house/monument/building, rather than a general vague area. In other words, just type in the postcode in your phone to find each one of these.

1. Rat Trap

Thomas Street North, Kingsdown BS2 8LX

This stencil is really strange, because it’s framed on a wall, with clear protective plastic over it. It is small, so the sight is kind of hilarious to see: small street art framed on a regular cement wall?

The stencil is a flower in a rat trap. Often, Banksy uses animals in his stencils, especially rats and monkeys (animals used in laboratory experiments).

This is likely framed because this stencil on canvas sold for thousands of pounds. The originals are even more valuable.

But it still looks pretty funny.

2. The Mild Mild West

Hamilton House, Stokes Croft BS1 3QY

Next we move to a larger work in a more bustling part of Bristol. This work is pretty huge actually, and very iconic of Banksy in Bristol.

This is also a pretty great place to stop and have a drink. I know we’re only on our second stop, but if you’re thirsty, go inside and catch some of the local scene over a draft beer. There’s likely to be unique musicians performing (when I went there was an elderly couple playing banjo—seriously), alongside local youngsters having a chat over coffee. This spot is a gathering place for Bristol’s artists, musicians, and students.

The Banksy piece here features a soft teddy bear throwing a Molotov Cocktail at the police. This work is likely inspired by police raids on local party scenes. It suggests the resistance (by fluffy, mild, teddy bear types?) to the police.

3. Blowpop Records:

Portland Square Saint Paul’s, BS2 8SA

You know how you can spot where this small stencil is located? There will be a group of people wandering around saying “is this it?”

Blowpop Records is a tiny stencil work on an abandoned building next to Cosies, a local artsy-type bar. There may be some fencing or work being done on the abandoned building, so it may be easy to miss this work.

The image is of a matador waving his cape at a car, with the text “BLOWPOP RECORDS” above the image. Blowpop was a nightclub and record label formed by a DJ friend of Banky’s.

This stencil is near a few public squares, great to relax with some lunch or enjoy the (rare but possible) sun.

For some insance reason, I took a picture of this, and not the angel itself.

4. Paint Pot Angel

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, BS8 1RL

Head to one of Bristol’s main museums, and you’ll see a work by Bristol featured in the main lobby, to the left of the staircase.

Strange, I know, to see a street artist featured in a museum, but that is the interesting irony of Banksy’s work. His work is founded in illegal and controversial street art, yet his work sells for tens of thousands of pounds and he’s even in museums. The way art is valued and sold is a really weird and constantly changing network of privilege (*sigh*) but that’s a story for another day.

In this museum, Banksy had a free exhibition. In a typical Banksy pushing-the-envelope fashion, his exhibition was very unique. Yes, his works were in the museum for people to stare at and make vague observations about, but he also incorporated his art into pre-exhisting works at the museum.

In other words, Banksy incorporated his work in the other exhibits at the museum. For example, there was a bong in the collection of china.

This work commemorates his presence in the museum, revealing how popular contemporary work can reach a privileged place like a museum. It’s been estimated that this show brought in £10-15,000 to the city of Bristol. It’s a testimony to the importance of Banksy.

5. Well-hung Lover

Frogmore Street/Park Street, BS1 5NA (close to Bristol Cathedral)

This is my favorite piece in Bristol.

On a large wall in a very central part of Bristol, Banksy painted a window with a man peering out, looking for his wife’s lover. The two seem to have been caught in the act, and the lover jumped out the window, where he now hangs, hoping not to be seen.

The splatters of blue paint were not a part of the original piece, but rather likely to be some “vandals” who threw paint at the piece.

Runner up on the list…

Gim Reaper on the Thekla: BS1 4RB

Supposedly another Banksy lies painted on the Thekla ship in Bristol harbor. I went there, and did not see it, but it’s worth going to look for because the harbor is a beautiful place to end your day in Bristol!

Banksy challenges the authorities with a critical message, while keeping a distinct sense of humor. He’s brought loads of tourists to Bristol to catch his work, and inspired many other artists around the world. Sure, he started off doing something illegal, but in the words of Banksy himself:

“Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.

“You owe the companies nothing. Less than nothing, you especially don’t owe them any courtesy. They owe you. They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for your permission, don’t even start asking for theirs.”

Posing with some non-Banksy street art in Bristol

What do you think about Banksy’s controversial street art? Did you find all the works of art on this treasure hunt? Let me know in the comments below!

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