John worked at Underfall Yard for 32 years, working as the Senior Fitter in the Docks Maintenance Workshop. In these recordings, he shares a few memories from his career at Underfall Yard. Getting His Start - John shares how he began his time at Underfall Yard in the 1980s and what the Docks Engineers' crew looked like at that time... John and his [...]
Simon was instrumental in the founding of Underfall Yard Trust in 1994, then known as the Underfall Yard Restoration Trust. The charity is is now responsible for the management of the historic boatyard, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024. The first major project undertaken by the Trust was the restoration of the patent slipway, which had fallen into disrepair in the late 20th century. In [...]
John is a traditional wooden boat-builder, specialising in the building of pilot cutters. John worked from the Lean-to workshop, next-door to the Big Shed. This workshop was one of several that were lost in a devastating fire in May 2023. Since then, John has continued to work around the Floating Harbour. The workshops will be rebuilt as part of the Recovery and Reinstatement project. The [...]
Trevor worked at Sampson’s Foundry, which would make machine parts for Underfall Yard. Pattern makers at the yard’s in-house workshop built wooden patterns, with the foundry would then use to make the moulds for castings. The Foundry - In this recording, Trevor describes the casting process and his role at the foundry. The Casting Process A wooden replica of the desired machine [...]
A striking feature of the yard's walkway, the slipway is one of the few working examples of the “patent slip” design from the 19th century. Volunteer Elaine continues her research into the slipway, tracing its origins in Leith, Scotland… One of the outstanding features of Underfall Yard’s maritime heritage is its historic patent slip. The slip gets its name from the fact that the design, [...]
The sluices are essential to managing the water and silt levels in the Floating Harbour. Alan, who worked at Underfall Yard from 1958-1962, shares a deeply affecting story that shows just how dangerous this work could be. It also illustrates how important it has always been at Underfall Yard to work together and look out for each other. Content Warning - This recording mentions an [...]
Sir Joseph Whitworth (1803-1887) is a name that may be familiar to you, sitting atop the large blue-green planing machine in Underfall Yard's Docks Maintenance Workshop. But do you know who he was? Volunteer writer Elise investigates his life and legacy... Sir Joseph earned his fame for his creation of the British Standard Whitworth (BSW) in 1841, the world’s first official standardised screw thread. This [...]
Visitors to Underfall Yard can now view artist's impressions of what the yard could look like once work to restore the Big Shed and its two neighbouring workshops is complete. Click the images above to view them in full. The new designs aim to preserve the historical fabric of the buildings, whilst bringing them up to modern standards, returning the site to a [...]
Serving the boats of Bristol's Floating Harbour since 1854, the patent slipway never fails to draw the eye of visitors to Underfall Yard. In this month's blog, volunteer writer Elaine delves into its origin story... “On Monday last a first trial was made of the heaving-up slip which has recently been erected by three enterprising citizens on the banks of the Floating Harbour” the Bristol [...]
There's loads to see and do at Underfall Yard this Half Term! If you're looking for a family day out in Bristol, all of our activities are open to visitors of all ages. To top it all off, thanks to the bank holiday, the Underfall Yard Visitor Centre and Cafe will be open throughout the week. Here's a list of of our Half Term events [...]