Where should you go for a first street art walk?
If you have one or two hours, I recommend Nelson Street followed by Stokes Croft. You pass through several painted streets and finish at The Mild Mild West, so the outing is not limited to a single work. To combine Banksy and the harbour, choose Park Street, M Shed and the walk west along the quays instead.
The two routes below can be done separately. North Street, to the south, deserves another half-day if you enjoy looking at murals and exploring the neighbourhood. The third-day Bristol itinerary gives these streets more time.
The artworks and whether they are still there
Below are the works to look for in the street, those moved into museums and one that has been removed. Status as of 23 October 2026, according to Visit Bristol and Bristol Museums. Walls can be damaged, painted over or hidden by building works; an artwork’s presence does not mean it still looks like an old photograph.
| Artwork | Where to look | Documented status |
|---|---|---|
| The Mild Mild West | Stokes Croft, near The Canteen | Outdoor work listed as visible. |
| Well Hung Lover | Wall visible from Park Street, above Frogmore Street | Listed outdoor work; its surface has suffered damage. |
| The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum | Hanover Place, in the harbour area west of SS Great Britain | Outdoor work still listed by Visit Bristol; its surface condition changes. |
| Grim Reaper | M Shed | Painting removed from Thekla’s hull and preserved in the museum; viewing depends on access to the exhibition spaces. |
| Paint-Pot Angel | Bristol Museum & Art Gallery | Sculpture retained by the museum after the 2009 exhibition; view during museum opening hours. |
| Aachoo!! | Former location on Vale Street, Totterdown | Work removed. This guide does not suggest a detour to see it there. |
Before planning a detour for another older Bristol artwork, make sure it is still there. Apps and historical maps may retain a former location: check their date and what they say about whether the work remains.
Walk 1: Nelson Street, Stokes Croft and the start of Gloucester Road
1. Nelson Street: take in the large façades
Start on Nelson Street, north of the Old City. The appeal here lies in the scale of the painted surfaces and the way the murals transform a whole street. Step back a little to see the façades, then move closer for the details where the pavement allows.
This area is about more than Banksy. It offers a good introduction to Bristol’s collective street art scene before you reach a more famous work. The paintings change over time: enjoy what is there rather than following only a list of old images.
2. Continue up to Stokes Croft
Continue towards Stokes Croft. Painted walls mix with cafés, shops and music venues; the walk passes through a lively neighbourhood with traffic. Use pedestrian crossings to move from one façade to another.
The Mild Mild West is near The Canteen. You will easily recognise the bear facing police officers, but take time to look at the other walls nearby too. For a short outing, you can take a break here and finish the walk without continuing to the north of Gloucester Road.
3. Extend the walk only if you have time
Gloucester Road goes on a long way. For this walk, stop near the beginning of the road, around the junction with Zetland Road and Cheltenham Road. Explore the shops and take a break, then return towards the centre.
Allow around an hour and a half to two hours for Nelson Street, Stokes Croft and a stop, longer if continuing along the road. This gives you time to pause in front of the paintings rather than simply walk from street to street. The stops and starting points are included in the Stokes Croft guide.
Walk 2: Park Street, museums and harbour
Starting around Park Street
Well Hung Lover can be viewed from the Park Street area, above Frogmore Street. The contrast between the painted scene and the street explains its effect: step back a little while staying in pedestrian areas. Marks and repainting have altered the wall over time; a perfectly intact photograph may not reflect today’s visit.
Bristol Museum, further uphill, houses Paint-Pot Angel. If the museum’s collections also interest you, use this stop to explore beyond the sculpture. General admission is free. The museum usually opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. The British and World Wildlife galleries remain closed until summer 2027.
Head to the harbourside and M Shed
Head down towards the harbour and on to M Shed. Grim Reaper was removed from Thekla’s hull for conservation, so the old ship is no longer the place to look for the original painting. Visiting the museum also helps explain Bristol’s transformation.
M Shed’s permanent collections are free, with usual opening hours of Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. On Mondays, keep this stop to the harbourside and do not count on seeing the work inside.
Extending the walk to Hanover Place
Visit Bristol still lists The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum in the Hanover Place area, west of SS Great Britain. This extension adds to the walk. I recommend it as part of a Harbourside walk rather than a quick out-and-back trip from Stokes Croft.
Allow a full half-day if adding museums and breaks. Staying outdoors makes the walk shorter, but you will not see the works housed inside buildings. Check opening days before choosing your stops, especially if you want to enter the museums.
North Street: another scene to explore
South of the harbour, North Street and the Bedminster area offer a concentration of painted walls and shops, linked in particular to Upfest. The murals change: it is more enjoyable to follow a neighbourhood walk than to look only for an old painting or a famous name.
This outing works well as a half-day with lunch or coffee. Allow time for this detour from the harbourside, especially if your walk through the northern neighbourhoods is already long. If spending two days in Bristol with Clifton and SS Great Britain on the itinerary, I recommend Stokes Croft for your introduction to street art instead.
Independent walk or guided tour?
| What you want to do | The best option |
|---|---|
| See a few painted walls at your own pace and take breaks | Explore one area independently. |
| Understand the artists, techniques and local context | A guided street art tour, after checking its language and content. |
| See a specific artwork | Check its location and status first, then plan a detour around it. |
| Try painting | A supervised workshop separate from a walk; check age requirements, materials and location. |
Before booking a tour, check the meeting point, duration, language and advertised route. ‘Banksy’ in the title does not mean the group will see every artwork or enter the museums. A painting activity or workshop may also have its own age conditions.
The Bristol sightseeing guide helps you fit this activity among the other visits during your stay. If choosing a two-hour guided tour, shorten the rest of your walking itinerary to give it enough time.
A few pointers for enjoying the walk
Photography: the façades line residential streets where traffic keeps moving. Keep pavements clear and avoid taking photos from the road. Courtyards, doorways and private spaces are not visitor entrances.
With children: choose a short loop in one area rather than hunting for every artwork in the city. Some images and messages are aimed at adults; choose stops according to your children’s ages and interests.
In bad weather: street artworks remain outdoors. You can go into M Shed and Bristol Museum when their spaces are open; the rainy-day guide suggests a more sheltered day.
Finding your way: use the shared map and neighbourhood guides. A historical location does not necessarily mean an artwork is still visible, particularly when it has been removed.
A guided tour in English: Blackbeard to Banksy
This two-hour walk combines Bristol’s history and street art, starting outside the cathedral and finishing on the harbourside near Arnolfini. It suits those comfortable with English who also want to explore the Old City. The advertised route takes in Well Hung Lover and Nelson Street; our Stokes Croft loop complements this introduction.
Routes on the map
Stops along the walk
- Nelson Street
- Stokes Croft · The Mild Mild West
- Start of Gloucester Road
© OpenStreetMap contributors