Born in Bristol in 1974, Banksy was one of many kids on the streets of Bristol with a can of spray paint in his hands. However, following his involvement in a wave of street art across the city in the 1980s, Banksy has gone from strength to strength and is now a world-famous artist with his work selling for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Whether you live here in Bristol or are simply visiting, there are some of his most famous works (and some of his earliest) dotted across the city which make for a fantastic walking tour and day out on the town…
Grim Reaper – Originally painted onto the side of the Thekla on the harbourside, this is one of Banksy’s most well-known pieces which can now be found on display inside of the M-Shed.
The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum – From the M-Shed, head along the harbourside to see the most recent Banksy near to Bristol Marina (look out for the clock tower and you can’t miss it!)
From the harbourside, make your way towards Bristol Cathedral and turn onto Lower Lamb Street just behind the Central Library. At the end of this road you will find a Banksy mural painted in 2011 with the quote “You don’t need planning permission to build castles in the sky” tucked away.
Next onto Park Street. Head to the small footbridge on the other side of the road to College Green (just next to La Tomatina restaurant) which overlooks Frogmore Street to see his renowned piece Well Hung Lover.
Paint-Pot Angel – Walk up to the top of Park Street and cross over to the Wills Memorial Building. To the left of the tower is the entrance to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery which is home to Banksy’s well known angel sculpture.
Mild Mild West – From Park Street make your way to The Canteen in Stokes Croft to find Mild Mild West. The best views of this one are from the Jamaica Street junction and street-art lovers be ready as this whole area resembles a huge outdoor gallery – an absolute must see!
Take the Money and Run – An early Banksy and Inky graffiti collaboration, this one is just off of Cheltenham Road in the car park of the Montpelier Health Centre (not the most glamorous of locations but a good shot to add to any Bansky photo collection!)
Cat and Dog – Over in Easton, this one will need a short drive or bus ride but the area contains some of some of Banksy’s oldest works. This one can be found on Foster Street.
Masked Gorilla – This gorilla in a pink mask on Fishponds Road was accidentally painted over in 2011 but has now been restored. A must see on your Banksy day out!
Should you be after guided tours you can book them online here and there is now even an app which includes all of the pieces above and many more.
Banksy has taken the entire world by storm but we will of course always hold a very special place for him here in Bristol…the man is an absolute legend and this tour is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon too!