Museums · South Wales
Clifton Observatory
Clifton Observatory — a museum in wales-south, United Kingdom.
George Baker — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Clifton Observatory is a museum in wales-south, United Kingdom, listed in the Wikipedia register of British heritage and tourism sites. See the linked Wikipedia article for full details.
Photo gallery
Place summary
Clifton Observatory is a museum located in South Wales. It features a unique camera obscura and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area. The observatory is a notable landmark with historical significance in the region.
AI-generated from the structured facts on this page (operator, designation, listing, era). Not a substitute for visiting.
Background
History
The building was erected, with the permission of the Society of Merchant Venturers, as a windmill for corn in 1766 and later converted to the grinding of snuff, when it became known as 'The Snuff Mill'. This was damaged by fire on 30 October 1777, when the sails were left turning during a gale and caused the equipment to catch alight. It was then derelict for 52 years until in 1828 William West, an artist, rented the old mill, for 5 shillings (25p) a year, as a studio. By 1842 West had converted the building into an observatory incorporating reflecting and achromatic telescopes and a camera obscura, charging one shilling for visitors or an annual membership of 10s. 6d. In 1977 the Merchant…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4566, -2.6264
- District
- Bristol, City of
- Parish
- Bristol, City of, unparished area
- Postcode
- BS8 3NA
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bristol Central
- Established
- 1766
- Official site
- www.cliftonbridge.org.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: Clifton Observatory (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Clifton Observatory?
- Clifton Observatory is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode BS8 3NA), in the parish of Bristol, City of, unparished area.
- When was Clifton Observatory built?
- Built or established in 1766.
- How do I get to Clifton Observatory?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode BS8 3NA. It sits within the Bristol Central parliamentary constituency.