Unpleasantville: The Things They Won’t Tell You About Bristol & Bath

This week sees the launch of brand new podcast audio tours in Bristol and Bath. History lessons that are perhaps a little different to what you might be used to, the tours explore the stranger parts of each city’s unique history – the dark stories and ‘Unpleasant’ bits, from angry mobs and baby serial killers, to Roman curses to extraterrestrial contact.

The Unpleasantville podcast tours are self-guided audio tours of – the real – Bristol and Bath, offering people the chance to discover the truth about where they live. Perfect for long-time residents, University freshers, or generally curious minds, the podcasts guide listeners through the urban tales, dark subcultures and special quirks of two famed Southwestern cities. 

Historically, Bristolians have not been frightened to let the authorities know exactly what they think, evidenced by a series of violent and aggressive riots over 200 years. The defiant protests against government oppression and inequality are explored during the journey from Stokes Croft to Bristol Harbourside.

Along the way there’s horrifying stories, like that of ‘Angel Maker’ Amelia Dyer, the terrifying Victorian Baby Farmer and Serial Killer – which is just about as hideous as it sounds. Even more peculiar was the historic St. James Fair, which featured everything from a shaved monkey gimmicked as a fairy, to a ‘sapient’ pig who gave its visitors advice, and a bear in a suit – all in a notoriously disorderly show that ran for some 600 years. 

Legend has it that ruler Bladdud the Swineherd, founder of Bath, discovered the city’s magical ‘healing waters’ because he was particularly fond of his pigs. The Bath tour, leaving from Bath Spa station, reveals how and why a king with leprosy was cured of his disease and founded a city on his site of his good fortune.

The Roman Baths are also the home of many ‘Roman curses’, the apparent tumultuous thievery and ill-feeling of that time investigated throughout the trip. Along the way, The Circus and The Crescent are visited – massive Masonic symbols – examining Bath’s history of Freemasonry ‘cults’. These landmarks turn out to be road signs for extraterrestrial visitors, but who is the man responsible for the aliens in the architecture…?

Narrated by Try Me (up-and-coming Bristol music duo Bendy Wendy and Hector Boogieman), the tours also touch on Bristol’s proud involvement with the Bus Boycott of 1963 and its unpleasant history of UK race relations, as well as Bath enduring brutal WWII bombings, with stories from local author Clare Reddaway.

In addition to secrets and tales, listeners hear locally-curated music from Try Me but also Bristol-based artists Eve Piper, Immy Odon and other Bath bands and DJs. “We were really keen to get local music into the project, because there's such a clear identity in the great things local musicians produce – Bristol music particularly famous for it, but Bath has its own voice too” says the project’s creator Kim Halliday. “The place you live will colour your outlook on life, and that comes out in the art you produce. We want these to be local walks for local people!”

Headed by award-winning creative Kim Halliday, Unpleasantville CIC was set up to provide small-scale, music-based mixed reality events using a blend of gig, gallery and club settings. For this outing, the co-operative offers an immersive (completely self-guided) history lesson-meets-local music curation podcast. “You can do it when you want – wander about at your own pace,” Halliday says. “Fancy a cup of tea? Stop, have one, or even something stronger!”

Halliday has enjoyed a Trailblazers grant from Bristol&Bath Creative R+D for the implementation of the Bath project – funding awarded to help promote inclusive, open-sourced and co-creative practices. It was backed because they saw an opportunity to aid exposure of emerging parts of the community, while offering an ‘undiscovered’ view of the city. “After all, it's so difficult for people from under-represented minorities to get new art and creative pieces noticed,” Halliday says. 

Unpleasantville’s Bristol and Bath podcast tours are free of charge, available at any day and time via a simple QR code unlock. For more information, and to access them, visit https://www.unpleasantville.com