The 26-year-old New Zealander moved back to his home city in 2015 after a stint with the Melbourne Rebels and played on the wing in the Hurricanes' Super Rugby final victory over South Africa's Lions last month.
Woodward, who can also play at flyhalf and is a solid placekicker, represented New Zealand at under-20 level but his move to Australia and the form of the likes of Ben Smith and Israel Dagg prevented him from graduating to the All Blacks.
"I felt it was the right time for me to come and experience playing in a new environment and Bristol Rugby is the right fit for me," he said in a news release.
"To sign off from my time at the Hurricanes with a Super Rugby title was a fitting way to finish and now I’m excited about testing myself against quality opposition in the top flight of England."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney,; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
