A Brief History of Bristol
Bristol is the unofficial capital of the West Country of England, with a ballpark population of 433,100 (2009) and a greater urban area of 1,070,000 (2007), it is the 8th largest city in the UK. In 1155 it received the Royal Charter and it was given county status in 1373 . The nearest cities are historical Gloucester, Bath and Cardiff and it borders the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. There has been a living community in the Bristol area dating back around 60,000 years, the Paleiolithic period. This has been proved by archaeological finds.