Arnos Vale Cemetery Review

Wonderful old cemetery in the heart of Bristol, maintained by a volunteer team. The place has a happy atmosphere, if one can say that of a cemetery! It is a really a pleasure to walk in it.
If you visit, be sure to check out the grave and monument to Ram Mohan Roy, one of the main forces behind the Bengali Rennaisance, who ended up dying in Bristol. Fascinating background story.
Knowledgeable guides are often on hand, and there is a visitor centre / cafe.

Lots of graves, dating as far back, as I can find, the 1600's

A lovely place to wander through the trees looking at the names and dates on the tombs before heading to the cafe for a coffee and a cake

Excellent place for a different visit than usual. Peaceful and quiet enough for some inner tranquility. Nature has taken a part of Arnos Vale back, ehich is fascinating to me. Ideal for photography practice.

Spend a couple of hours here, it is really interesting and great for photography. There is also a cafe for a hot drink and snack. The place has a very gothic feel and lots of interesting places to look at.

Very dark and mysterious, had a black cat follow us around. B !

Lovely place to explore and walk. Quiet and overgrown. Interesting memorials and graves. Lovely cafe which serves food. Easy parking.

This is a beautiful place steeped in history.

After a recent visit to a family grave I was disappointed to see the area was very overgrown. Parts of the cemetery have bushes that have grown to large proportions and very long grass.

There now appears to be lots of activities being held at arnos vale which is probably needed for funds and its good to see the buildings being put to good use. But it would be lovely to see some of this income used to maintain more of the grounds.

Also, it should be remembered that this is essentially a graveyard and should be treated with respect for the deceased and thier families.

Well worth a visit. A fascinating place packed with history, atmosphere, and a nature reserve as well. We also had a very pleasant lunch in the cafe.

my father, grandparents and aunt buried there, could not think of a better place to be buried in

This is such a great location for getting some peace and quiet, fantastic scenery, exploring local history, atmospheric photography and fab tours. Never get bored of coming here, the restaurant is delightful and the staff are always happy to help and answer questions.

Lovely place for a nice walk and to see a part of Bristol history

Im trying to look some one in the grave but I don't know the last name I need help

I always used to feel a bit scared walking past cemeteries, but now I appreciate the history. This Victorian cemetery has been restored, although some tombstones still give a vibe of history with plants growing up them and perhaps with bits missing. I first went into the cemetery when I was researching about WWI and I discovered there's a Commonwealth War Grave just inside the gates to the right. They've done a great job raising awareness and there are always events from Wedding Fairs, to children's tours, bat-watching, and even Zumba classes in the hall. There's also a cafe serving coffees and treats.

Love this place. You can park inside and then take one of the many paths up into the woodland cemetery. There's a small cafe here too.

Fantastic nature reserve, formally a substantial Victorian era graveyard.

There are some lovely walks amongst the tombstone's and plenty to observe and contemplate life's priorities as a result.

When I went there all i could hear were noisy school children when i went to visit my dead grandma they need to learn some respect

My nan and gramp are buried here and it truly is a peaceful wonderful place. It is maintained beautifully. A part of history. Only down side is it not being open at the weekends due to covid. Think it would be nice if could close one day in the week and open one day over the weekend.

Attended the Morbid Curiosity Tour. Whereas the cemetery itself never fails to impress, I would like to politely mention that the tour would have been more enjoyable if the talk was less scripted as this affected its fluidity and interaction with the audience. At times the audience struggled to hear the commentary and even gather into a group together by the time it commenced. Otherwise, the cafe was lovely, and an interesting experience.

Such a special place. Have lived by it for 11 years now and still not bored of visiting!

I love this place, many of the graves have been or are being reclaimed by nature which my boyfriend felt was depressing, but it makes me feel very peaceful and at one with nature. It's packed full of trees, which is relaxing and walking/jogging here provides a great workout as the cemetery is basically on and around a hill.

Arnos Vale is so much more than a cemetery.
It is a large area with a variety of habitats and a large number of species of plants and trees.

There is an education centre on site for those arranging school trips.

It is great for walks and fantastic if you have small children to take them on minibeast hunts, do some rubbings if the art on the gravestones and actually give them a bit of an outdoor education somewhere different.

I was booked to do a wedding at Arnos Vale, it's a great place with friendly staff that are always welcome to help you, a little cafe to have food and drink's and very close to the park.

Fascinating cemetery which has been beautifully restored and tended. Worth a visit

I love love love this place the cafe is amazing lovely staff to. So beautiful to take walks. You forget your in a cemetery in the middle of busy bristol with nature all around you. So many fascinating headstones and stories behind them. Theres a lovely little shop which sales trail leaflets that are good to buy at 50p each then give you some amazing historic facts. Highly recommend going

HI we, loved our walk, found the cemetery very interesting, We felt very let down by the cafe, no menu, very little food on offer, as we where hungry ordered toasted sandwiches, which where not good, han soooo fatty and full of grizzle, not cooked properly, asked for salad as they came with no trimmings, which for the price found odd, as other cafes dress them, such a shame as cafe highly recommended to us, we where offered cake which 2 of us had, but did not really make up for how expensive food was for substandard quality, we will not recommend this cafe, and will not eat here again, which is a shame,

Brilliant place to visit. Cafe on site with reasonable prices.

a calm and quiet cemetry along with great wilderness.
here you can found the graveyard of Raja Ram Mohon Roy, the founder of Bengal renaissance

DO NOT be put off by the fact that this is an old crematorium and graveyard.
This place is fantastic and being local I come here a lot with the kids as there are many wonderful Acer's to wander around. It also has a fantastic coffee shop with great cakes and some history as well with the inner workings of the crematorium downstairs to view along with other things.
Also a big thumbs up for the organizers who put event's on there are many nights of cinema viewing and tour's etc.
My 6 year old went to a screening of The nightmare before Christmas and loved it.

Really glad this place is on my doorstep.

Little bit a peace and quite in the city - and the coffee from the shop is good

Been to a number of plays here and the standard has been fantastic. One small gripe is even when the cafe has been open I haven't been able to get hot drinks as they have the machine off or food due to the lack of G/F availability. Otherwise a lovely evening venue. Also a charming and delightful place to visit in the daytime too, charming gift shop and friendly staff.

Really lovely cafe with friendly staff and great food, we had brunch and cake! There were vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options available and the seating area was pleasant and spotless. We also had a walk around the grounds which were much larger than we had thought. Dogs are welcome around the grounds and in the outside seating area which is covered. The little fairy doors hidden around the ground are really cute and probably a lovely thing to do with kids. The exhibitions in the buildings are interesting and everything is explained clearly. Some of the paths are rugged and some manicured enough for pushchairs or wheelchairs so there is a walk for everyone.

Really good place for a walk, the cafe is brilliant and the events they hold are well worth a visit.

I like coming here with the dog walking round the cemetery very good place to go

Very interesting place to visit if in Bristol. Nice cafe

Great for walking dogs excellent cafe and loads of history

One of Bristol's more interesting green spaces, its nevertheless a great place. Whether you're on the look out for wildlife, famous Bristolians, Victorian architecture, or simple quiet contemplation, Arnos Vale is something of a hidden gem. A little off the beaten path, it's well worth a visit.

If you're feeling more adventurous they also host events throughout the year from cataloguing the biodiversity (Bioblitz) to Halloween Walks!

There can't be many cemeteries with a cafe, gift shop and 45 acres of land to explore. Arnos Vale is truly spectacular, particularly in spring but whatever the weather, the mood will take you. If you're looking for a bit of peace, or just a nice walk, then head here, you'll not regret it. There's plenty of bird life such as robins, thrushes and woodpeckers and if you're lucky you might spot a fox. Plenty of flora to go with the fauna, if you're a photographer then take your camera, lots to shoot when the light is good.
Atrium Cafe does some hot food as well as the usual cafe treats, plenty of seating. They had one of the Gromits on one visit I made and there are often events going on such as bat walks and yoga. There are some monumental tombs as well, plenty of history and a wealth of information so you know what you're looking at it. Up there with SS Great Britain but for very different reasons.

A rather eclectic mix of nature reserve, Victorian funereal architecture and the slightly macabre (crematorium remains crusher in visitor centre). We've found roe deer tracks, hedgehog droppings and fox poo whilst wandering the tracks. The experience changes with the season: birdsong in the spring; buzzards circling in the summer; swish of leaves in the autumn; tracks in the snow in the winter. You can explore Victorian social strata exposed by the style and expense of the gravestones, as well as the rather grand monument of one of the founders of modern Hinduism. And the coffee shop is nice!

Very let down on Boxing day. My mother always takes a wreath down on the day to place on my Late father's BirthdaY. Only to find that all gates were locked and the cemetery closed. Surely one gate for a access could be left open to allow people to visit there loved ones for special occasions

Love it. It makes me wish I was dead. Victorian splendour.

Easy to find as it's the dead centre of Arnos Vale. A nice walk around if you don't mind the fact you are in a cemetery.

The Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol is a place worth visiting. In general, cemeteries in GB have their own peculiar atmosphere. The graves look like neglected, abandoned and forgotten, yet they have something in them that attracts. The tombstones are 'uncovered', i.e. they are not overwhelmed by a garbage bin of plastic flowers and empty candles or lanterns. Nobody forcibly straightens the boards and does not stick each grave with a dice of a different color.

went there once for a walk. it was great. quiet with joggers, runners, dogs and owners. sometimes they do movie screenings too apparently.

Most South Bristolians probably have a relative buried here. Used to think it was quite sad how nature has reclaimed vast parts of the cemetery, but on walking through today, I have changed my mind. It's so peaceful, and gives you time to think about your long gone loved ones. Perched on a hill so not suitable if you are less able. Lots of interesting Victorian headstones to see. Lots of various trees, shrubs. There's even a nice cafe, with disabled access. Highly recommended for an afternoon or morning walk in nature in the heart of the city.

Great place, nice combination of graves and nature with a interactive information about local animals.