What to do in Bristol this autumn: 7 plans under £7

As the leaves fall and Halloween approaches, it’s safe to say autumn is well underway. The nights are drawing in and maybe you can see your breath on the air as you trudge to 9am lectures. But it’s not all doom and gloom: this guide has you covered for the best ways to embrace autumn in Bristol without breaking the bank.

Rainy day at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Wet weekend weather typically stipulates a home-day, but with the consistency of Brizzle drizzle, there’s only so many days you can bed rot away the bad weather. Instead, pacify your boredom with an invigorating cultural day out to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Whether you’re intrigued by artifacts and sculptures, wildlife and fossils or paintings and photography, make the most of a rainy afternoon by roaming the warm cosy halls of the museum, soaking up some entertainment that doesn’t derive from a screen. Part of the Museum group is M shed, a space dedicated to the history of Bristol, offering some truly insightful exhibits of poetry, film and photography that might even serve as secondary sources for Arts and Humanities Courses. A must visit is Bristol photographer Beezer’s £7 event on 21st October: a Q&A showcasing 80s Bristol through the lens, accompanied by a live DJ performance from Bristol 90s dub and reggae musician DK Alikat, unveiling the electronic, house and hip-hop music that birthed the Bristol sound. This is sure to be a fun filled night for art enthusiasts, history buffs and musos alike.

Cost: £0-7

Host a halloween party

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“Halloween is the one night a year students can throw an offensively big party and landlords can’t say anything bad about it.” Not quite the Mean Girls quote, but you get the gist: Halloween is your free pass, a shadowy twilight zone where anything goes: including hosting a fat function. Especially this year with Bristol clubs like The Underground charging highs of £60 for Halloween events, a house party is simultaneously the cheapest and easiest way to get all your friends together to celebrate All Hallows Eve. Maximise the spooky szn vibes with decorations, costumes and terrifying tunes (monster mash comes to mind). Whether you’re a first year in halls or living in a 2nd/3rd/ 4th year house, there’s no better way to christen your new living quarters than host a soiree you’ll never (depending on drunkenness) forget. Dance into the night and before you know it the clock strikes midnight… we’ve made it to November!!!

Cost: Free!

Watch the Fireworks on Brandon hill November 5th

Remember, Remember the 5th of November, well this year you will if you watch fireworks with friends on Brandon hill: it’s sure to be a night you won’t forget. Just a five-minute walk up from College Green, the hill’s summit offers panoramic views of shows across the city. Take your mates, some blankets, tinnies/a flask of hot choc, maybe even a picnic and mark your spot on the hill for an evening of free entertainment. Get there around six or seven pm to set up camp and catch the start of displays, they usually go on late into the night.

Cost: Free!

£6 cinema date at Watershed

Want to get out tonight but also in desperate need of a booze break? Well then, head down to Watershed where under 25s can watch ‘any film anytime’ for just £6. Nestled amongst a harbourside warehouse, Watershed is a hidden haven for cinematic fanatics and Letterboxd lovers. Aside from entertainment value, recent studies show cinema trips have a genuine positive impact on our mental health. UCL neuroscientist Dr John Hogan explains: watching a film somewhere other than home in a shared creative space relieves stress and even sparks social connection. Funnily enough: getting out of the house, turning off your phone for a few hours and immersing yourself in the cinematic world of fictional characters offers a sense of escapism and therefore stress relief from often overstimulating Uni life. So, whether you’re in need of a mood booster or just really want to see Cillian Murphey’s face magnified X10, get yourself down to Watershed. Protip: Smuggle some shop bought snacks and popcorn in your bag to keep it £10 budget friendly.

Cost: £6

Spoons study sesh with £1.81 bottomless beverages

Disclaimer: offer includes non-alcoholic beverages only (unfortunately) but a good deal nonetheless. As Christmas approaches, so too do summative deadlines and sometimes there’s only one thing for it: a full days essay lock in. As depressing as this sounds, unlimited hot chocolate at £1.81 might help sweeten the pill. That’s right, Spoons is serving up the ultimate caffeine fix to fuel your study sesh, for just £1.81 or less you can get unlimited refills all day on any coffee or tea at any location in Bristol. Whether your study space of choice is the Whiteladies Road W.G, the Will’s library adjacent Berkeley, the gothic City centre Commercial Rooms or even the exotic riverside V shed, Spoons is the place for your long anticipated academic comeback this autumn.

Cost: £1.81 or less

Sip seasonal cider at the Apple

Nothing quite says October like a crisp apple cider, and advertising ‘the best deals on Kingstreet’, The Apple is the place to go. As the name suggests, apple cider is the delicacy here and at £4 a pint it’s hard to go wrong, the Old Bristolian 8.4% cider is also a must try at £2.20 for a half. You’ll find this bountiful boozer just at the bottom of King Street on a moored boat shimmering with fairy lights, true heaven on earth. You don’t even have to worry about the autumnal Bristol weather being characteristically unaccommodating, the heated umbrellas have you covered (literally). Grab your student ID to claim the deals and get yourself down to King Street for a pub crawl.

Cost: £2.20

Leigh Woods walk

Let’s end on a wholesome note, maybe you’re hungover or desperately need to touch grass after whatever last night was. Well, there’s no better way to reconnect with nature and watch the seasons change than under a canopy of colour changing trees. Just across the Clifton suspension bridge awaits the Leigh woodland walk, a fairy tale path cocooned by deciduous trees. The trail is customisable in length depending on how much you CanBA, it’s also relatively flat (thank God), so there’ll be no war flash backs to mountainous Sunday walks you were dragged on as a child. Maybe you just want a quick gander: try the one-mile circuit round Stokeleigh Camp. Or perhaps you’re feigning for a frolic: opt for the whimsical five-mile ramble through Avon Gorge, soaking up cinematic views of the river. Though only a hop, skip and a jump from Clifton, this woodland wander feels truly removed from the buzz and bustle of Bristol city life, free therapy certain to clear your mind. For more directions on the different trails just pop ‘Leigh Woods walk’ into google maps and enjoy exploring!

Cost: Free!

happy autumning x