In Their Footsteps: Guided historical walking tour

Join us on 24 November at 5.30pm, meeting outside Vaulted Café, for a special dusk walking tour led by historical and archaeological specialist Pete Insole. As the sun sets, we will walk the streets of the former Bristol city centre, exploring the locations and stories of the 313 businesses that stood before 24 November 1940, and the 80 that survived the first night of the Blitz.

Using a handheld projector, Pete will illuminate buildings, streets, and shopfronts as they appeared before the bombardment, offering a rare chance to see the lost city as it was. This tour reveals the dramatic transformation of Bristol’s urban heart and the lives impacted by the events of 1940.

Meeting point

Outside the Vaulted Chambers Café. To find us easily, use what3words: ///sake.blur.locals

About Pete Insole

Pete Insole is an historical and archaeological specialist with over 30 years’ experience in Bristol’s heritage sector. He is Head of Urban Design and Principal Historic Environment Officer at Bristol City Council, where he also maintains the city’s Historic Environment Record.

Pete devised and manages the multi-award-winning Know Your Place web mapping resource. For more than a decade, he has developed a “story of place” approach that brings together historic photographs, oral histories, postcards, and community archives to collectively explore and define Bristol’s heritage. His current research focuses on mapping the businesses of Bristol’s city centre affected by the Blitz.

Online Resources

• Pete’s new website documenting the pre-Blitz businesses and street layout of the city centre will go live on the 24 November
• The Bristol Blitz – Historic England
• Know Your Place – Maps and historical information