Clifton Observatory, Bristol, Observatory and museum in Clifton Down, Bristol, England.
Clifton Observatory is a circular stone tower on Clifton Down in Bristol, used as an observation point with views over the Avon Gorge and the surrounding area. The tower also gives access to an underground tunnel and a cave that opens onto the cliff face.
The building started as a corn mill in 1766 before a fire left it empty for years. The painter William West then took it over and converted it into an observatory in 1828.
Inside the tower, a working camera obscura projects a live image of the surrounding area onto a flat white dish. This type of device was once a popular form of public entertainment and remains one of the few still in use across the country.
The tower is easy to reach on foot from Clifton Down, and the path along the way already offers open views. A single visit usually covers the tower, the tunnel, and the cave together, so it is worth allowing enough time for all three.
The tunnel linking the tower to Giant's Cave was carved out of a natural channel already running through the rock. At the far end, a window cut into the cliff face looks straight out over the gorge below.
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