The Bristol cemetery that’s been named the best free attraction in the South West

  • This is what the site looks like from above.

A heritage site in Bristol has been named as the most visited free attraction in the South West, according to statistics from Visit Britain. But it may not be the one that you expect.

The unusual spot beat Clifton Suspension Bridge, The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth and even Wells Cathedral for top place on the list.

So, which attraction came in first? Well, the answer is Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust.

The historic cemetery on Bath Road welcomed more than half a million visitors in 2022 and 2023 according to the figures released by Visit Bath.

In comparison, the Clifton Suspension Bridge saw 57,429 visitors in 2022 and 74,860 visitors in 2023, according to the survey.

Other attractions in the Top 10 included The Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) in Exeter, New Brewery Arts in Cirencester, Forest of Dean Clyde Centre Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, and MAKE Southwest in Newton Abbott.

More than half a million people a year visit the heritage site in Bristol

Across the country, the likes of the British Museum, World Museum Liverpool, Midlands Arts Centre and Brighton Pier topped the list in other regions.

According to Visit Britain, this annual survey looks at "trends in visitor numbers and profiles, entrance fees, employment, sustainability, accessibility by public transport, funding, and marketing and communication. Insights are available by attraction type, entrance fee (paid/free), and region.

"The annual trends report provides an overview of the visitor attraction sector using results from a mix of online and postal surveys. This approach means we’re unable to verify results provided by individual attractions beyond a basic ‘sense check’. Read more about our methodology.

"The lists of English attractions included in the report only feature those that choose to participate and agree to make their results public."

Also in the lists published as part of the annual survey's findings, is the Top 20 most visited paid attractions in each region. These include a number of top spots within the region:

  • Stonehenge (more than 1.3 million visitors in 2023)

  • Roman Baths (991,437 visitors in 2023)

  • Longleat Safari & Adventure Park (800,056 visitors in 2023)

  • Grand Pier (Weston-super-Mare) - 545,011 visitors in 2023)

  • Westonbirt, The National Arboretum (an estimate of 423,813 visitors in 2023)

  • St Michael's Mount (418,364 visitors in 2023)

  • Tyntesfield (401,636 visitors in 2023)

  • Kingston Lacy Estate (391,969 visitors in 2023)

  • Stourhead House and Garden (376,253 visitors in 2023)

  • Bath Abbey (354,590 visitors in 2023)