These cover the city of Bristol, north Somerset (including Weston-super-Mare, Axbridge, Banwell, Cheddar, Clevedon, Wedmore and Winscombe) and south Gloucestershire.

The approximate coverage of the postcode districts: Until about 1994[citation needed] different numbers applied to districts from BS12 upwards.

No longer existing are: BS12, BS17, BS18 and BS19; these were as follows: BS12 covered: Almondsbury, Alveston, Aust, Awkley, Bradley Stoke, Earthcote Green, Easter Compton, Elberton, Filton, Ingst, Itchington, Littleton-on-Severn, Morton, Northwick, Oldbury Naite, Oldbury-on-Severn, Olveston, Over, Patchway, Pilning, Redwick, Rudgeway, Severn Beach, Shepperdine, Stoke Gifford, Thornbury, and Tockington BS17 covered: Chipping Sodbury, Mangotsfield, Old Sodbury, Pucklechurch, Rangeworthy, Winterbourne, and Yate BS18 covered: Compton Dando, High Littleton, Saltford, Long Ashton, West Harptree, Wrington, Paulton, Chew Magna, Blagdon, Temple Cloud, and Keynsham.

BS19 covered: Backwell, Churchill, Congresbury, Flax Bourton, Nailsea and Yatton.

Other towns and villages may have shared these postcodes.