Ever since Bristol's Floating Harbour was established in 1809, Underfall Yard has been vital to its maintenance and the city's commercial trade as a whole. But not many people know how. A new year is a great time for a reintroduction, and our team of experts and custodians have created a quick guide that explains just how important we are to Bristol's history. Download our guide today and take the first steps in becoming an Underfall Yard specialist! Photo by yard volunteer Max By downloading our guide, you are consenting to allow The Underfall Yard Trust to [...]

David Sinden, one of our volunteers, uncovers the mystery of the Electricity Substation based behind Underfall Yard. It may look like a rundown piece of architecture, but this structure was a main part of the hydraulic network of the City Docks from 1906 to 2010. Thanks David for looking into some great Bristol history and the importance of this building to the Yard's (and the city's) infrastructure.   Opposite the Avon Crescent entrance is a mysterious and imposing concrete structure (Fig 1). What is it? Is it an ugly monstrosity that should be demolished immediately, or is it a [...]

Underfall Yard raises over £20,000 in first 10 hours of Big Give campaign Over £10,000 was donated by 150 people within the first 10 hours, meaning the full match-funding pot will be released.  But the work is not yet complete… By 10pm on 2 December, just 10 hours after the Big Give campaign opened, Underfall Yard Trust had received over £10,000 worth of donations from over 150 people.  This will release the full match-funding pot from pledgees Seetru and Wring Group Limited; and funds from champion Reed Foundation.  However, the work is not yet done: Underfall Yard still needs [...]

Underfall Yard launches fundraising campaign to support rebuild of boatbuilding workshops For one week, all donations to The Underfall Yard Trust are doubled (up to £10,000), to help the restoration of the boatyard following the 2023 fire. From 2nd to 9th December, The Underfall Yard Trust is taking part in Big Give’s Christmas Challenge fundraising campaign. The Trust started works to rebuild workshops yesterday (1st December).  Underfall Yard still needs to raise £100,000 to implement improvements to meet modern boatbuilding needs and improve its community engagement works via a dedicated community space. The Trust has set an ambitious £10,000 fundraising target for [...]

For nearly forty years, Bristol diver Robert "Bob" Broome worked for the Port of Bristol Authority. His working life spanned a period from post-war recovery to the closure of the City Docks and the start of regeneration of the harbour. For most of that time, he kept a diary detailing his varied and sometimes dangerous work. Those diaries are now in the Bristol Archives collection and form the basis of this blog.[1] After working as a shipwright at Charles Hill’s shipyard, Bob trained as a diver at the naval dockyard in Gibraltar during World War 2. On his return [...]

Underfall Yard rebuild to start in December 2025. The Big Shed rebuild, alongside its three neighbouring workshops, is the final step to fully restore Underfall Yard following the May 2023 fire. The Underfall Yard Trust is delighted to announce that building works on The Big Shed, the Yard’s flagship building, and adjoining workshops will begin in December 2025. The Trust will use one of the reinstated workshops to deliver new public engagement and education programmes centred on boatbuilding. To achieve this the Trust still needs to raise the final £100,000 to ensure the unique nineteenth-century site is suitable for [...]

This weekend (4-5th October) we celebrate Docks Heritage Weekend, with Underfall Yard, M Shed and SS Great Britain offering unique activities to explore the working history of the Floating Harbour. Visitors will be able to travel between venues by ferry or heritage bus. But you can also spot another crucial piece of working docks as you enjoy the harbourside walk: the Bristol Harbour Railway. Volunteer Anne-Marie Shepherd has been researching the story of the railway, and how it connected Underfall Yard to the rest of the docks... Bristol has a long maritime history and the City Docks (also known [...]