CONTACT
Puppet Place
Unit 18, Albion Dockside Estate, Hanover Place
Bristol BS1 6UT
All Enquiries
HOW TO GET HERE
Puppet Place is not generally open to the public. We participate in the Harbour Festival or Bristol Open Doors once a year to share our Rehearsal Studio and Fabrication Workshop with the wider world, as well as running regular events and classes – please visit our what’s on page. However, if you are visiting Puppet Place for research purposes, please do email info@puppetplace.org first to arrange a suitable time and avoid disappointment!
Puppet Place is located on Hanover Place on the right side of the street if you’re coming up from the Cumberland Road direction. We are in a large stone wall with “No Parking” painted on the side, in the middle is a small brick door.
On Foot:
From the centre 25 mins approx.
From the city centre, turn right behind Arnolfini over the Prince Street Bridge and right again past M Shed, walk along the harbour, past Olive Shed, Brunel’s Buttery and The Point (residential apartments) to the Maritime Heritage Centre and the SS Great Britain. Turn left onto Gas Ferry Road and walk on to the junction with the main road (Cumberland Road). Turn right and then right again onto Hanover Place. Puppet Place is on the right side of the street.
By Boat:
From the city centre 15 mins approx.
There are ferry services from various stops around Bristol including Temple Quay (for interchange with Bristol Temple Meads train station), City Centre, Castle Park (for Broadmead/Cabot Circus) and the SS Great Britain (the stop for Spike Island). Ferries run every 40 minutes. From the SS Great Britain drop-off, follow the above walking route
By bicycle:
From the city centre 4 mins approx.
Follow the walking route along the harbourside (beware of old train tracks though) or, alternatively, a cycle path runs all the way down Cumberland Road from Wapping Road. To reach us, bear right onto the main road just before the cycle path bears left onto the ‘chocolate’ path. Turn right off Cumberland Rd onto Hanover Place (River City is the pub at the top). There are bike racks located at Spike Island Studios on Cumberland Rd, 5 mins walk from Puppet Place.
By Bus:
The new Metrobus m2 route serves Long Ashton Park & Ride, Ashton Vale, Ashton Gate, Cumberland Basin, Spike Island, Redcliff Hill, Temple Meads, Cabot Circus and Broadmead.
The m2 stops at the ‘SS Great Britain’ bus stop, located on Cumberland Road close to Spike Island.
From here it’s a 5 mins walk to Puppet Place – walk towards Brunel’s ss Great Britain along Cumberland Rd and turn left onto Hanover Place.
The service will initially run from Monday to Saturday (not Sundays); with a bus arriving every 10 minutes during the week and every 12 minutes on Saturday. Buses offer wi-fi and USB charging points.
The Metrobus m2 route replaces the ‘506 Shuttle Only’ route which has been running free Monday-Saturday service from the stop on Gas Ferry Road. Click here for more information on the m2 service.
First also runs bus services 357, 358, 359.
Take these to the Hotwell Road stop and use the Cross-Harbour Ferry. Hotwell Road is also served by the A4 Portway Park & Ride 902 service.
Bristol Insight open-top bus tours operate between February and December and can be picked up from Bristol Temple Meads station and other key locations around the city centre. The Bristol Insight website has more information and a map.
By train:
Closest station is Bristol Temple Meads (25 min walk from train station – follow signs to the SS Great Britain – Puppet Place is on Hanover Place half way up the Cumberland Road. The journey from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads takes approx 1 3/4 hours and approx 1 1/2 from Birmingham Stations.
By coach:
Closest station is Bristol, Marlborough Street bus station. To walk from the bus station will take approx 30 mins. Take the far end exit from the bus station, turn left down the hill and right at the junction towards the centre. From there follow the “On Foot” directions given above.
By Car:
NB: We are in the Bristol Clean Air Zone & there’s a new Bus Gate on Cumberland Road, prohibiting traffic leaving the island east of Gas Ferry Road.
Follow the brown signs for SS Great Britain.
From the city centre, take Wapping Road over the Prince Street Bridge behind Arnolfini and turn right onto Cumberland Road. After, just under 1⁄2 mile turn right onto Hanover Place (look out for The Orchard Inn on the corner).
From other directions, follow brown signs to SS Great Britain. There is limited on-street pay and display parking (operating Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) or a pay and display car park is available on Gas Ferry Road near the SS Great Britain.
Parking:
Please note parking around Puppet Place is extremely limited. There is a large pay and display Car Park next to the SS Great Britain which is 5 minutes away on foot.
For further information on public transport options please visit Travel West.