Editing Bristol (section)

=== Geography ===
Bristol lies within a [[limestone]] area running from the [[Mendip Hills]] in the south to the [[Cotswolds]] in the northeast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cotswolds AONB |url=http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/?page=Map |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510091538/http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/?page=Map |archive-date=10 May 2011 |access-date=12 June 2011 |publisher=Cotswold AONB}}</ref> The rivers Avon and Frome cut through the limestone to the underlying clay, creating Bristol's characteristically hilly landscape. The Avon flows from Bath in the east, through [[flood plains]] and areas which were marshes before the city's growth. To the west the Avon cuts through the limestone to form the Avon Gorge, formed largely by glacial meltwater after the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]].<ref name="10.1144/GSL">{{Cite journal |last=Hawkins |first=Alfred Brian |year=1973 |title=The geology and slopes of the Bristol region |journal=Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology |volume=6 |issue=3–4 |pages=185–205 |doi=10.1144/GSL.QJEG.1973.006.03.02 |bibcode=1973QJEGH...6..185D |s2cid=129044127}}</ref>

The gorge, which helped protect Bristol Harbour, has been quarried for stone to build the city, and its surrounding land has been protected from development as [[The Downs, Bristol|The Downs]] and Leigh Woods. The Avon [[estuary]] and the gorge form the county boundary with [[North Somerset]], and the river flows into the [[Severn Estuary]] at [[Avonmouth]]. A smaller gorge, cut by the [[Hazel Brook]] which flows into the [[River Trym]], crosses the [[Blaise Castle]] estate in northern Bristol.<ref name="10.1144/GSL" />

Bristol is sometimes described, by its inhabitants, as being built on seven hills, like Rome. From 18th-century guidebooks, these 7 hills were known as simply Bristol (the Old Town), Castle Hill, College Green, Kingsdown, St Michaels Hill, [[Brandon Hill, Bristol|Brandon Hill]] and Redcliffe Hill.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=John |url=https://archive.org/details/abookaboutbrist00taylgoog |title=A Book about Bristol: Historical, Ecclesiastical, and Biographical, from Original Research |date=1872 |publisher=Houlston and Sons |page=[https://archive.org/details/abookaboutbrist00taylgoog/page/n18 10]}}</ref> Other local hills include Red Lion Hill, [[Barton Hill, Bristol|Barton Hill]], [[Lawrence Hill, Bristol|Lawrence Hill]], Black Boy Hill, Constitution Hill, [[Staple Hill, Gloucestershire|Staple Hill]], [[Windmill Hill, Bristol|Windmill Hill]], Malborough Hill, Nine Tree Hill, Talbot, Brook Hill and Granby Hill.

Bristol is {{cvt|106|mi|km}} west of London, {{cvt|77|mi|km}} south-southwest of [[Birmingham]] and {{cvt|26|mi|km}} east of the Welsh capital [[Cardiff]]. Areas adjoining the city fall within a loosely defined area known as [[Greater Bristol]]. [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] is located {{cvt|11|mi}} south east of the city centre, [[Weston-super-Mare]] is {{cvt|18|mi}} to the south west and the Welsh city of [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] is {{cvt|19|mi}} to the north west.