The city of Bristol historically started at the site of an Anglo-Saxon bridge known as "Brycg Stowe" or "Brigstowe". It gradually developed into a Mediaeval port due to its links with the Atlantic via the Severn Estuary and the River Avon. In the 1900s, Bristol became a beacon for aviation.

At twice the size of Plymouth and Exeter, the city is now the largest settlement in the South West and has close links to South Wales thanks to the Severn bridges.

The top business areas in Bristol

There are two major business hubs in Bristol: the city centre and Almondsbury to the north. The docks area acts as the city's business centre, and it's where most major workspace developments are situated. Now that the docks are not used for their original purpose, the whole area is home to waterside commerce, culture, education, entertainment, and relaxation.

Bristol Harbourside

In the docks area, there are places like the mixed-use Broad Quay House, a superb development of office spaces, flexible coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and virtual offices. It is conveniently located within a minute's walk of the local amenities, including Queen Square. It's a location that lifts you up when you look out of the window, especially in the summer when the docks come to life. A few roads away, All Saints' Street is a delightful, light-filled modern office complex. If you know Bristol's history, you might better recognise this building as the Fry's chocolate factory, an icon of the city for generations. Nowadays, it's the best of its kind if you're looking for meeting rooms, office space, and flexible office accommodation.

Castle Park

Castlemead is Bristol's tallest commercial building, at 18 storeys high. There isn't much left of the Norman castle that it's named after. However, the park that stands in its place is a lovely spot to eat your lunch on a sunny day. You can expect great flexible office space here as well. It has proved to be a space that is ideal for start-ups or established businesses trying to get a toehold in Bristol with meeting rooms, workspaces, and coworking spaces. It’s one of the first places small businesses look to rent office space in Bristol.

Almonsdsbury

Heading north, you'll reach the village of Almondsbury, which is now a vital business park. It's where the M4 (Swansea to London) and M5 (Exeter to Birmingham) cross each other. Take a look at Aztec West, a chic, custom-built office development with flexible office space, meeting rooms, and coworking space a minute's drive from the M5.

Regus Almondsbury Business Park is fully-equipped, too, with 72 private offices, nine coworking desks, and three meeting rooms. It boasts equally good connections in the park's leafy, almost suburban corner. Car parking is a significant advantage of this part of town over the city, which can shave a good half hour off your journey.

Travel in Bristol

Travel convenience is everything when you're inviting clients or just commuting to the office. Well, in Bristol, you have nothing to worry about. The city is easily reachable on the train via Temple Meads Station, located right inside Bristol Quays. There are direct services from all over the country to this major mainline station. As we mentioned above, the M4 and M5 meet just outside Bristol, so you're plugged into the road network, making any journey straightforward, whether you're coming from Land's End, South Wales (over one of the bridges), London, Birmingham, Manchester or beyond. International travellers are served by Bristol Airport, with flights from the rest of the UK, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.

Bristol's entertainment

When looking for office space, what goes on from 5–9 is just as important as your workspace. Bristol will not disappoint. If you're into nightclubs and cocktail bars, the locals and the student population ensure there's a ready supply. But since that's not to everyone's taste, you might be glad to know there's an abundance of quieter bars, cafes, and international restaurants all around Bristol city centre and into the suburbs – perfect for entertaining discerning clients.

Music has always been an essential part of this city's identity and culture, and you won't have to travel far to find a venue with live acts, large or small. Additionally, theatres like the Hippodrome and the Tobacco Factory host everything from touring comedy stars to highbrow dramatic productions.

How much is it to rent office space in Bristol?

Office spaces in Bristol range from about £169 per person per month to £279 pppm for all-inclusive city centre packages. Generally speaking, the business park will be cheaper than an office in the quay areas of Bristol, but if you're flexible, you can find some excellent deals right in the heart of things.

How to find an office space in Bristol

First, you need to figure out precisely what you're looking for in your office. Think of parameters such as flexibility, the number of staff you need to accommodate, and how important a city location is compared to the convenience of a business park.

Location

When you’re buried in your computer at your desk, location probably doesn’t matter too much, but when it comes to quality of life, it’s vital. Do you like the amenities of the city centre – shops, entertainment and restaurants – or is it more important to be able to drive to and from the location from the motorway network? If it’s the former, the city centre is unbeatable, but if you think you’ll be doing a lot of driving around the country, aim for Almonsdsbury.

Flexibility

Do you know exactly how big your business will be in six months? A year? It’s always better to have options when it comes to the amount of permanent desk space you’ll need, but it’s also good to be able to blend it with coworking opportunities, mixed offices and hybrid working. Choosing an office that gives you that flexibility is very useful.

Transport

If you’re likely to be relying on public transport for employees and guests, the city centre is very well served by rail, buses and the airport. Bristol can get a little congested on the roads, however, especially around the morning and evening drive times, but as we mentioned above, Almondsbury has no such issues, and it’s handy for South Wales too.

Now, visit Regus's options for Bristol office space and locate the one you think best matches your needs. Finally, select "Get a quote" to contact us, so we can help find you the perfect office, whatever your budget. After that, it's just a matter of moving in!

Interesting facts about Bristol

If you need any more reasons to choose a Bristol office, these facts about the city might just convince you:

• The Bristol Aeroplane Company was one of the contributors to the Anglo-French Concorde.
• Bristol's most famous offsprings include Cary Grant, David Prowse (a.k.a. Darth Vader), JK Rowling, Stephen Merchant, and (it is alleged) Banksy.
• Bristol was recently voted as the number one place in the UK to start and grow a business, trumping London which was ranked in second place.
• Bristol has better than average broadband speed. The average for the city is currently 34 mbps with the national average sitting at just 26mbps.

Why Bristol is a great place to do business

Bristol has always been a great place to do business, which isn't about to change. It has a spirit and a vibe all of its own, a large city with a friendly and approachable population right in the heart of the South West. There's a thriving city centre, great connections, and hundreds of business locations and events to explore.

Why you should rent an office in Bristol

Renting an office is the flexible, no-strings-attached way to get your business up and running or to open up your company in a new region with minimum risk. It's about turning up and doing work, so you won't get bogged down with complicated contracts or spend massive amounts of money on city centre property. You get prestigious city centre locations for a cost-effective fee when you rent. Find out more about office space options.