To find Bristol and Bath eerie?

[soulandwine]

I wonder if anyone else feels this way about Bristol and Bath? I grew up in east Devon and often used to think about where I'd live as an adult. On paper, Bristol seemed like the perfect and logical solution. The right size, location, beautiful architecture, interesting people and culturally rich.

I'm at a crossroads in my life, and with nothing tying me to any particular area, I am considering once again where would suit me best. My first thoughts were Bristol, but after another recent day trip, I somehow can't bring myself to love the city.

It's hard to describe, but I find the atmosphere in both Bristol and Bath oppressive, disconcerting and somewhat creepy. Both cities have a coldness, as though the soul has been sucked out. I don't feel this way about London, Oxford, Exeter, Winchester etc., only Bristol and Bath.

I will say that I'm a reasonably sensitive character, and I absorb other people's emotions, as mad as that sounds. Does anyone else feel the same way about Bristol and Bath?

Apologies, not sure if this belongs in AIBU or not.

I live midway between the two.

Someone has probably already said this, but lots of people say this and there's a woo-y theory about ley lines.

I personally adore that part of the world, but I do find the whole area has an "energy", but it's never seemed negative to me. Though it seems it does often seem negative to other people.

Bristol is great and I love it the most in the summer. It has beautiful green spaces and such vibrancy from all the diversity and culture. I would never think of it as "cold".

Swindon, however...

No, please don't.

I don’t think they have a ‘vibe’ like some U.K. cities

I went on a week’s taster session at Bristol Uni as an A level student. I was expecting to have a really great week, and in some ways I did, but I just didn’t warm to the place. Parts of it felt really grubby and menacing, and other parts just ‘meh’ - fake with no real substance. I really don’t regret studying there.

There’s no cosines or warmness. Maybe it is the radon?!

I love Bath.
I hate Bristol last time I went there you couldn't walk down the street without being approached by aggressive beggars and street preachers.
Glastonbury town always feels as though violence is about to kick off, although the tor is nice to walk up

I have stayed in Bath many times and even rented for a while and was looking to buy there at one point...however, I just didn't like it and it is now referred in our family as 'Boring Bath'. Don't really know Bristol

@incywincyspiders Did you get what I meant about being better to live in than visit? I found it incredibly liveable and loved the quirky places you might not find if you stick to the centre like the common room or The Bell or that tiny Indian street food place on Kingsmeadxsquare or Boston up on Alfred st and it has fantastic charity shops! Absolutely love that new Townhouse place that's opened where Gap was - popped to see my friend last week and can't wait to move back!!

Weird places, full of dickheads.

I'm always curious what people mean by diversity and culture, but they clearly don't get what they want from a person with my skin colour so I am pribably hypersensitive to those words.

I quite fancy seeing the balloon festival. I like the architecture in Bath.

was thinking to visit Glastonbury later this month but hearing a pp say it feels like it's about to kick off is a worry. Also, I get the impression it's very marmite.

This must be the second or third thread I've seen about Bath in the last three years, so you're definitely not the only one.

Personally, I haven't found Bristol especially creepy and I don't think I've visited Bath.

I always get a sense if foreboding in Bath, I agree with the poster above Glastonbury is a rough as a badgers arse.

So my vision of it as being a sweet little place is totally wrong? Perhaps I won't bother st all.

Bath is okay but I get what you mean about the oppressive vibe. Clifton / Redland / the downs areas of Bristol used to be nice….lots of nice pubs and good student vibe. The centre was always soulless and run down

I always found the wells and glasto vibes the weirdest but not necessary bad.

I think anywhere can feel oppressive and lonely until you find your feet and make friends there. Even the crappiest of towns can become home when you have friends there.

Bristol has a vaguely menacing feel to it. I don't know how to describe what I mean, I'm not a very 'vibesy' person so it's not me being sensitive to auras or someshit. I've wanted to leave each time I've been there, it's not a pleasant place to be. Maybe all the graffiti puts me off, makes me think of dark, pissy alleyways. I dunno.

I haven't been to Bath for years, but I got flashed in the park there so I tend to think of it only negatively. I don't remember it being creepy generally though.

It can be but there is a bad element in the town, have seen it kick off a few times. The Tor walk is amazing though. Shops are overpriced. So many interesting people though. I have a love hate relationship with the place.

I find Bath weird too, so self-satisfied and smug, so white, so…middle class.

Bristol is much bigger and edgier than it was even 10-15 years ago. How recently have you been?

Probably there was a lot of Druid activity round there once and you are sensing the vibes OP? They may have had to drag the stones through that way before building Stonehenge? Or all sorts of other weird rituals.

It could be something less sinister in that they say that is one of the rainiest parts of England , so it could just be weather-related?

For me personally, Edinburgh is an austere, cold and spooky place..

Why would Druid activity weird someone out though?

I loved Bath, but I know exactly what you mean. Feels almost haunted.

I've been freaked out by druids. Living ones, doing a wedding thing in a field.

But whhyyyyy tho

I wasn't expecting to see anyone performing a ritual there, in a field I'd passed through regularly without seeing another person. It wasn't creepy, but it was very unexpected. Them being druids (I don't really know what they were, maybe pagans?) is by the by - a gathering of anyone doing something spiritual in that field would have given me a start.