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Covid Secure Visiting FAQs

Everything you need to know about your trip to our Visitor Centre under coronavirus restrictions.

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What’s inside the Visitor Centre?

  • Our displays explore the design and construction of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, its maintenance and engineering, the lives of the engineers who worked on it, its impact on people who lived locally and the importance of its natural surroundings.
  • We’re also running an audio presentation on the bridge’s history which you can hear on our mezzanine.
  • Although our bridge building interactive has been packed away, we’ll provide a stylus so you can engage safely with our touchscreen and push button displays and children’s colouring sheets will be available to take home.

Do I need to pre-book entry to the Visitor Centre?

  • We’ve introduced advance booking to help manage visitor numbers and maintain safe, social distancing. To ensure access to the Visitor Centre, please book a timed entry slot. You’ll be able to turn up at any time during the half-hour period you’ve reserved.
  • Unfortunately, we cannot allow entry to those without a pre-booked ticket/reservation slot or anyone who arrives outside of their timeslot.
  • For the safety of everyone do not visit if you’re feeling unwell. We’ll issue a refund and you can rebook for another time.

How do I book a ticket?

  • You must book a ticket for the Visitor Centre in advance.
  • Please bring proof of ID or a membership card if you qualify for a discount rate.
  • Please book one ticket per person and choose a 30 minute arrival timeslot on the day you’d like to visit. You can arrive at any point during the timeslot and can stay as long as you wish once you’re inside (an average visit is around 40 minutes).
  • Tickets are being released on a rolling basis. Please visit our Eventbrite ticket page and follow the instructions. You will be asked to provide your contact details for NHS Test and Trace and you will receive a ticket confirmation via email which you can choose to print or show on your phone.
  • Tickets are non-transferable. Please ensure that the person who has made the booking is part of your group.

Why is there a charge?

  • After this long closure period, we are really excited to welcome you back into our building. Like many galleries and museums, our Visitor Centre was hit hard financially the coronavirus crisis. Your temporary ticket fee contributes towards our additional cleaning costs and extra staffing, keeping all visitors safe.
  • To thank you for you support, we’re offering you a selection of exclusive discounts alongside your booking.
  • We are part of a Charitable Trust and you can read more about our work on the Support Us page.

What does my ticket include?

  • Your ticket includes entry to the Visitor Centre permanent exhibition, shop and toilet facilities and 20% off the Bridge Guidebook and Children’s Trail.
  • Each member of your party will also be given a free copy of ‘The Tour’, our guide to the Clifton Suspension Bridge itself and a discount voucher for our Hard Hat Tours.
  • The Clifton Suspension Bridge itself is open to pedestrians free of charge 24 hours a day.

Do I need a ticket to visit the Bridge?

  • The Clifton Suspension Bridge is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Pedestrians can walk across for free, and no ticket is required.
  • There is currently a one-way system in place, so please ensure you feel confident that you will be able to walk all the way across before you enter the walkway!
  • Please note that the bridge abutments (viewpoints) are currently closed. For a great photo souvenir of your day, we’d recommend climbing nearby Observatory Hill.

Will I be asked for my Test and Trace details?

  • We’re asking everyone to pre-book, so the name a telephone number of the person making the booking will be taken for NHS Test and Trace purposes on behalf of the group.
  • Personal data we collect for this purpose will not be used for marketing or other activities.
  • You can choose to sign up for our e-newsletter at the bottom of this page if you’d like to stay informed of our activities.

Can I make a group booking?

  • You can currently only book a maximum of six tickets for our public entry sessions. If you would like to bring a larger group, please contact getinvolved@cliftonbridge.org.uk to enquire about our Covid-secure group offers.

What actions have you taken to ensure visitor safety?

  • We have carried out a full risk assessment of our new procedures and have been approved for the Visit England ‘We’re Good to Go!’ mark (the official UK mark to signal that a tourism and hospitality business has worked hard to follow Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines and has processes in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing).
  • Each member of staff has been fully trained in our new procedures
  • Professional cleaners are sanitising the Visitor Centre twice daily and sanitiser stations have been installed.
  • We have also adapted the building to a one-way system for your safety.

Will I have to wear a face covering?

  • Wearing a face covering is now mandatory for adults in shops, supermarkets, indoor cafés offering counter service and other enclosed spaces where you may encounter people you don’t usually meet. This includes museums and cultural venues.
  • We request you to bring your own with you.
  • Government guidelines state that children under the age of 11 do not have to wear a face covering.
  • Anyone who is unable to use a face covering due to a physical or mental disability or impairment is also exempt, as is assisting someone who is lip reading or relies on lip reading to communicate. See more information on exemptions on the gov.uk website.
  • Face coverings are not currently compulsory for staff, unless required by law, but we’ve provided staff with visors and if they choose to wear their own face covering, we respect their wishes to do so.
  • Safety is of paramount importance and we have put in place a range of measures including social distancing, hand sanitising stations and acrylic screens at till points.

What happens if I am asked to self-isolate or need to cancel my visit for other reasons?

Are toilet facilities available?

  • Toilets inside the Visitor Centre are reserved for use by ticket holders only. They are professionally deep cleaned twice daily and spot-checked throughout the day.
  • Each toilet is equipped with its own handwashing and drying facilities.
  • A baby change/family toilet and accessible toilet will always be available.

Is there a Café?

Is a visit suitable for children?

  • Due to the coronavirus restrictions we have packed away our bridge building activity and shut down our hands-on interactives.
  • However, we are loaning sanitised stylus pens to visitors who wish to engage with our push-button interactives and we have a Children’s Trail available for purchase to help 7-11 year-olds explore our text panels.
  • Children who are learning about the bridge or Brunel will find plenty of fascinating facts to help them with their school project, and colouring sheets are available to take away and complete at home.
  • Please note that we are currently unable to offer use of our buggy lockers, so you will need to take all of our belongings with you.
  • We ask parents to supervise children during a visit and ensure that they follow our visitor guidelines.

I have limited mobility. Is the Visitor Centre accessible?

  • The displays in our Visitor Centre were designed to be accessible to all, and we hope that you will find them interesting and informative.
  • If you require additional support, you can book a free ticket for a companion or carer.
  • To reduce contact, we have limited the visitor seating available inside the building. If you have reduced mobility and would prefer to be seated while you browse the displays, we’d recommend bringing your own seat/stool.
  • Our building has a hydraulic lift which is reserved exclusively for the use of visitors with limited mobility wishing to access the first floor displays and shop.
  • Visitors who do not wish to use the stairs may exit the building via the front door. However, as this means going against the one-way system, please notify a member of staff before making your way to the exit to allow a clear route of passage.
  • To find out more, see our (pre-lockdown) Accessibility Guide.

I have a visual impairment. Is the Visitor Centre accessible?

  • Like many museums, the majority of our displays are text and image based.
  • We mostly use a dark sans serif font on a cream background with some information in a light font on a dark background.
  • On the first floor mezzanine, we are playing an audio presentation about the history of the bridge. It is 28 minutes long, plays on a loop, and is designed in short sections so you can dip in and out of the stories. The volume of the presentation automatically adjusts to background noise, so you may find that it is initially harder to hear if there have been very few visitors in.
  • If you require additional support, you can book a free ticket for a companion or carer. Alternatively, an on-call member of staff is available throughout the day if you would prefer to explore the exhibition through socially distanced conversation.
  • To find out more, see our (pre-lockdown) Accessibility Guide.

I’ve been shielding: when should I visit?

  • We are restricting the numbers of people inside the building to ensure that all visitors have ample space during their visit.
  • We’d recommend visiting early in the day if you are nervous about transmission from shared surfaces to ensure that you are one of the first people in the space following a full building clean.
  • The bridge itself is open free of charge to all pedestrians 24 hours a day. A one-way system is in place and users are encouraged to socially distance, but in fine weather, the bridge can be quite busy. We’d recommend parking on-street in Leigh Woods or using the car park facilities at nearby Ashton Court so that you can reach the Visitor Centre without walking across the bridge. You’ll get a great view from our mezzanine window and can make a fully informed decision about whether you’d like to cross.

What will our visit be like?

  • To help keep everyone safe, we’ve made some changes and your visit will be a little different to what you’re used to.
  • When you arrive at the Visitor Centre, you’ll need to show your ticket (and ID/membership card) to gain access. You’ll be welcomed inside and your name will be ticked off on our guestlist.
  • We’ll ask you to put on your mask and sanitise your hands before you enter the exhibition. You’ll also be offered the loan of a stylus if you think you’d like to engage with our touchscreen or push-button interactives.
  • Please follow the arrows and one-way system around the exhibition space where we’re encouraging 2-metre social distancing. You’ll follow the bridge story back in time, beginning at its opening in 1864.
  • We’ve limited the number of visitors who can be in the building at any one time, but please do be aware of social distancing guidelines if you are sharing the space with others.
  • You’ll find the toilets halfway around the displays on the ground floor. Please make use of the facilities before you continue upstairs, as you won’t be able to return to them later.
  • Sanitiser stations are placed at key points around the building and all high-touch surfaces and lavatories are disinfected twice a day by our professional cleaning team.
  • Our shop is located at the exit point on the first floor where a selection of items are available to purchase using contactless methods. You’ll need to pass through this space to reach the building exit. At this point, you’ll be able to return your stylus and pick up children’s colouring sheets to take away to complete at home.

How do I get to the Visitor Centre?

  • The bridge does not have a dedicated car park, although two dedicated spaces are available next to the Visitor Centre for blue badge holders.
  • See our How to Find Us page for more information on parking and travel by bus – but please remember to visit the relevant websites for up-to-date travel information.

What happens if I am late?

  • Please arrive within your timeslot. Sadly, if you’re more than 10 minutes late, we won’t be able to guarantee entry.
  • Late entry will be at the discretion of staff and will be based on visitor numbers and the ability to maintain social distancing.

What should I bring with me?

  • We are not currently able to operate a cloakroom, so please ensure that you are happy to carry everything that you bring with you on your visit.
  • As of 8 August 2020, face coverings must be worn in indoor sites. We ask that all adult visitors bring a face covering with them and wear it throughout their visit, unless exempt.
  • To reduce contact, we have limited the visitor seating available inside the building. If you have reduced mobility and would prefer to be seated while you browse the displays, we’d recommend bringing your own seat/stool.
  • Hand sanitiser will be available on site, but we’d recommend that you also bring your own.
  • Regrettably, dogs are not allowed inside the building, but a dog parking hitch is available
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