Bristol Gloucester Train

Bristol is a city located in the south west of England and is the UK's 8th most populous city. The city borders the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire and is close to the historic spa city of Bath to the south and Gloucester to the north. The city has been built around the River Avon and has a short coastline on the Severn Estuary which flows into the Bristol Channel.

Bristol has a long maritime history of trading commodities, originally wool cloth exports and imports of fish, wine, grain and dairy produce, later tobacco, tropical fruits and plantation goods; major imports now are motor vehicles, grain, timber, fresh produce and petroleum products. The port was originally in the city centre but was moved to the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth. The site of the former dock in the city centre has been redeveloped and now attracts visitors to its bars, restaurants and cultural venues.

Bristol is home to two major universities: the University of Bristol, a "redbrick" university chartered in 1909, and the University of the West of England, formerly Bristol Polytechnic, which gained university status in 1992. The University of Law also has a campus in the city.

The city has two main line railway stations: Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway which is located to the north of the city.

The city of Gloucester is located in the county of Gloucestershire and lies close to the border with Wales. The city, which also lies on the River Severn, has a rich past dating back to Roman times. At the heart of the city, and standing in College Green, is the Norman cathedral with its breathtaking fan-vaulted cloisters and great east window. From the cathedral it is only a short walk down narrow cobbled streets, past historical buildings, to the main shopping area in the city. From there it is, once again, a short walk to the Victorian Docks with its now converted warehouses. In the docks you are likely to see all manner of vessels from narrow boats to sea going ships. The city is also an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding area and take in the splendour of the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean. The Cotswolds is an area of rolling hills which rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment, known as the Cotswold Edge, above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The Forest of Dean is an area of mixed ancient woodland and forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.