Getting to and around Totterdown

Updated 2 November 2026. Bus routes and timetables change, so check the operator before you travel. How we check facts.

Totterdown sits on the hill directly above Bristol Temple Meads, so most visitors arrive on foot from the station. Two main roads frame it: the A4 Bath Road along the bottom of the hill and the A37 Wells Road climbing up it, meeting at Three Lamps. [1]

How do you get to Totterdown from Temple Meads?

• On foot: Temple Meads is at the foot of the hill. Visit Bristol's walking route from the station crosses the New Cut and climbs through Totterdown's streets. [2] Expect steep hills; Vale Street has an average gradient of about 21.8%. [7]
• New entrances: Temple Meads' new Eastern Entrance has opened. [8] A Southern Gateway, with a new pedestrian route into the station over the River Avon, received planning permission in January 2026. [9] [10] [11] We haven't seen an opening date.

Which buses go to Totterdown?

For every service and stop, see bustimes.org's page for Totterdown, or the First Bus app for live times. [3]

Can you cycle or walk from Totterdown into the city?

• The New Cut: the Avon New Cut runs from Totterdown towards Cumberland Basin. On its north bank, the brick-surfaced Chocolate Path is a walking and cycling route towards the Harbourside. [13]
• Circular walks: the Friends of the Avon New Cut publish circular walks along the river. [14]
• Bath Road: the shared pavement for walking and cycling beside the four-lane Bath Road, near the roundabout south of Temple Meads, has been criticised as poor. [15]

What should drivers know about Totterdown?

• Clean Air Zone: the zone's boundary starts at the Three Lamps junction, so you can drive in on the Bath Road and turn onto the Wells Road without entering it. [6] Non-compliant private cars pay £9 a day inside the zone; fully electric vehicles don't pay. [16]
• Parking: on-street parking is tight, and the council is consulting on a Totterdown residents' parking scheme. [17] What's proposed.
• Hills: on Vale Street residents park sideways across the slope. [18]
• Roadworks: First Bus warned of a Bath Road closure in Totterdown from 25 April 2026; check for current closures before you drive. [4]

Sources

1. Sign post and Three Lamps, Bath Road and Wells Road (list entry 1203998), Historic England: historicengland.org.uk
2. Walks from Bristol train stations, Visit Bristol: visitbristol.co.uk
3. Bus stops in Totterdown, bustimes.org: bustimes.org
4. Bath Road, Totterdown road closure: services 1, 39, 43, 522, X39, First Bus, April 2026: firstbus.co.uk
5. 512 Totterdown – Windmill Hill – Bedminster – Redcliffe – Bristol City Centre, bustimes.org: bustimes.org
6. Questions and answers about the impact of the Clean Air Zone on Totterdown, TRESA: tresa.org.uk
7. Filming for Cadbury advert on Bristol's steepest residential street, Bristol24/7, 11 February 2026: bristol247.com
8. Bristol Rail Regeneration, Network Rail: networkrail.co.uk
9. Plans for new Southern Gateway revealed, Bristol Temple Quarter: bristoltemplequarter.com
10. Temple Meads new transport hub plans submitted, West of England Combined Authority, 29 July 2025: westofengland-ca.gov.uk
11. Southern Gateway transport hub wins planning permission, Business Biscuit, January 2026: businessbiscuit.com
12. 376a Bristol Bus Station – Wells Bus Station, bustimes.org: bustimes.org
13. The New Cut heritage trail, Bristol Floating Harbour: bristolfloatingharbour.org.uk
14. Circular walks around the New Cut, FRANC (Friends of the Avon New Cut): franc.org.uk
15. No money to fix 'appalling' Bristol bike lane near Temple Island, Bristol Post via inkl: inkl.com
16. Bristol Clean Air Zone, charges and vehicle checker, Bristol City Council: bristol.gov.uk
17. Totterdown Residents' Parking Scheme consultation, Bristol City Council: bristol.gov.uk
18. The steepest street in England, where cars are parked sideways, JOE: joe.co.uk