Bristol’s Christmas Steps look like something out of Diagon Alley, and I don’t say that lightly.
This tiny, steep, cobbled street is one of the most atmospheric corners of the city, and despite being only a couple of minutes long, it’s packed with enough history and quirky independent businesses to fill an entire afternoon.
In this post, I want to give you the full picture: where the name actually comes from, the story behind the street’s most famous businesses, and everything else worth knowing before you visit.
Are you ready? Then let’s get into it.
The History of Bristol’s Christmas Steps
Despite the name, Christmas Steps has nothing to do with the holiday, and the street has actually gone by several different names over the centuries.
In medieval times it was known as Stypstrete, or Steep Street, an apt enough description for the narrow lane connecting the old city walls up to St Michael’s Church on the hill above.
By the 17th century it had become known as Queen Street, and it was in September 1669 that the steps themselves were finally built, funded by a wealthy local wine merchant named Jonathan Blackwell, who went on to become sheriff of Bristol.
Before then, the route up the hill was little more than a treacherous, muddy footpath, and Blackwell’s stone steps made the climb considerably safer for everyone using it. A weathered plaque partway up the steps still commemorates the project and the various civic dignitaries involved.
For a brief spell during the English Civil War, the street was apparently known as Lunsford’s Stairs, after a Royalist officer, Colonel Henry Lunsford, who was shot and killed here during the siege of Bristol.
But where does the ‘Christmas’ name actually come from?
Well, nobody knows for certain, but there are two main theories.
The first suggests it’s a corruption of ‘Knyfesmyth Street,’ a reference to the cutlers who once traded here, worn down over centuries of use into something that sounded more like ‘Christmas.’
The second, more whimsy theory ties it to a nativity scene depicted in a stained glass window at the Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne, right at the top of the steps. Either way, the name had stuck by the late 18th century, and it has remained the same ever since.
Bristol Christmas Steps: What to See
Bristol Christmas Steps may only be a very short street, but over the years, it has become something of an unofficial arts and independent business quarter, and there’s a real mix of things to discover as you make your way up (or down) the hill.
Here are the places to take note of.
The Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne and Foster’s Almshouses
It’s worth pausing at the top of the steps to take in the Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne, a Grade II listed chapel dating back to 1504.
It’s dedicated to the Biblical Magi, referencing the Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral, Germany, and it sits alongside Foster’s Almshouses, a striking Burgundian Gothic building added in 1883, complete with turrets, diaper brickwork, and a spiral staircase.
Look closely midway down the steps and you’ll also spot a pair of carved figures set into little nooks in the wall. These were originally rescued from the old Merchant Venturers’ Hall on Marsh Street, and have kept watch over the steps ever since. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of them on my visit, so you’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled when you visit!
Ahh Toots
One of the most Instagrammable spots on the street is Ahh Toots, a tiny cake shop that’s become something of a local icon.
I’ll be honest and say I didn’t make it inside on my last visit as it was absolutely jam-packed (and the inside is tiny), but it comes very highly recommended by locals and visitors alike for its vintage sweets, novelty bakes, and dark academia-style interior.
While you’re looking up at Ahh Toots’ shopfront, keep an eye out for the small mosaic eye set into a niche high on the wall above it.
Nobody seems entirely sure of its origins, but it’s become a piece of street furniture in its own right, and a fun thing to spot if you know to look for it.
Ahh Toots Opening Times
Ahh Toots is open Tuesday – Friday from 8:00am – 5:00pm, and Saturdays from 10:00am – 5:00pm. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For more information, including reviews, here’s a Google Maps link.
The Christmas Steps Pub
At the bottom of the steps you’ll find the pub that shares the street’s name, and it has quite the history behind it!
The building itself dates back roughly 300 years, and it’s changed names more than once over the centuries: it was known as the Gaiety until around 1960, then became the Three Sugar Loaves, a nod to the sugar refineries that once dotted this part of Bristol (one of which burned down nearby in 1859), before finally being rebranded as The Christmas Steps.
These days, it’s a proper pub with plenty of original features still intact, low ceilings, narrow staircases connecting the floors, and a cosy atmosphere.
It serves a solid range of real ales, including its own house beer, Crack, brewed specially for the pub by Twisted Oak, alongside a broader selection of craft keg beers and pub classics on the food menu.
Weekends bring local DJs, and there’s a rear patio if you’d rather sit outside among the historic buildings.
The Christmas Steps Pub Opening Times
The Christmas Steps pub is open every day, with slightly different hours. Here are the current opening times:
Tuesday to Thursday: 12:00pm – 12:00am
Friday & Saturday: 12:00pm – 1:00am
Sunday: 12:00pm – 11:00pm
Monday: 5:00pm – 12:00am.
For more information, including reviews, here’s a Google Maps link.
Chance & Counters
Chance & Counters is a charming little board game café just up the street from Ahh Toots.
It has a huge library of games available to play alongside coffee and drinks, and it’s a lovely spot to while away an afternoon if the weather turns.
Chance & Counters Opening Times
Chance & Counters is open everyday from midday until late.
For more information, including reviews, here’s a Google Maps link.
20th Century Flicks
20th Century Flicks is one of the street’s real hidden gems: a DVD and VHS rental shop that claims to be the longest-running video store left in the world, serving movies to Bristolians since 1982.
It’s also home to two of the smallest cinema screens in Bristol, the eight-seat Kino and the eighteen-seat Videodrome, both tucked away inside.
20th Century Flicks Opening Times
Opening times at 20th Century Flicks vary. For the most up to date information, check out their website or Google maps listing.
Zerodegrees
At the very top of the steps, on Colston Street, you’ll find Zerodegrees, an Italian restaurant and microbrewery built on the former site of the sheds that once housed Bristol’s trams and the horses that pulled them.
From innovative beers to wood-fired pizzas, this is the perfect spot for a casual lunch or dinner on their lovely terrace in the sun.
Zerodegrees Bristol Opening Times
Monday – Wednesday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm.
Thursday: 11:00am – 10:00pm.
Friday – Saturday: 11:00am – 11:00pm.
Sunday – 11:00am – 9:00pm.
For more information, including reviews, here’s a Google Maps link.
The Scrandit
If you’re after something a bit more low-key, The Scrandit runs a rotating pop-up kitchen, with a different food vendor taking over most weekends, so you might get anything from Korean street food to a proper fry-up, depending on when you visit.
The Scrandit Opening Times
Sunday – Tuesday: closed.
Wednesday – Friday: 5:30pm – 10:30pm.
Saturday: 12:30pm – 10:30pm.
For more information, including reviews, here’s a Google Maps link.
A Word of Caution
As pretty as it is, Christmas Steps is exactly what it sounds like: a steep flight of old, uneven stone steps.
Without wanting to sound like a nag, please wear sensible shoes, take extra care if it’s been raining (the stone gets slippery), and don’t expect it to be an accessible route if you’re using a wheelchair, pushchair, or have mobility difficulties, since there isn’t an alternative route (with that being said, the view from either the top or the bottom of the steps is very much worth it, even if you don’t plan on climbing up or down).
How to Get There
Christmas Steps connects Colston Street at the top to Perry Road at the bottom, right in Bristol’s city centre.
It’s an easy walk from most central Bristol accommodation, and it sits close to the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and the harbourside.
Best Time to Visit
Bristol’s Christmas Steps are at their most atmospheric on a quiet weekday, when you can properly take in the details of the buildings without dodging other visitors on the narrow steps.
That said, an evening visit is worth considering too, particularly if you’re planning on stopping at the Christmas Steps pub, when the low lighting and old stonework really come into their own.
Bristol Christmas Steps | Final Thoughts
Bristol’s Christmas Steps are definitely among the most beautiful things to see in Bristol, and the fact that you can combine your visit with a huge slice of homemade cake at Ahh Toots or a pint at The Christmas Steps Pub make visiting a no-brainer.
It might be touristy, but it’s one of Bristol’s most magical spots, and between the fascinating history, mix of independent businesses, and that unmistakable ‘stepped into another century’ atmosphere, it’s well worth building into any Bristol itinerary.
That’s all for this one, but as always, if you have any questions then let me know in the comments below.
Until next time,
XOXO
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