In November Underfall Yard Volunteers and staff were updated by Bristol City Council’s Docks Engineer Ian Johnson on his plans for the Harbour in 2019 and beyond. Following Ian’s talk, volunteers were invited to ask questions about water management in the Harbour. During a wide-ranging and fascinating session many interesting points were highlighted. Docks Engineer Ian Johnson addresses Underfall Yard volunteers. Plans for [...]
Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Natalie Smith investigates the jobs done by women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated environment. It began with a photograph in the Visitor Centre at the Underfall Yard. Captain Short beams into the camera, clutching his retirement gift of a radio. Surrounding him are a group of 16 men and just three women. I started thinking about Harbour-based job opportunities [...]
Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Isabelle Compton caught up with Justin Quinnell to discuss his recent exhibition. Pinhole photographer and teacher, Justin Quinnell, combines art and science to produce stunning, and sometimes funny photos using pinhole cameras. The essence of his works is unpredictability and exploring the realms of the ‘what if...’ An exhibition of continuous exposures depicting views of the North Atlantic from the masts [...]
It was a crisp winter’s afternoon when I ventured out onto the harbour for a chat with Ben from the Harbour Master’s Office. It seems worlds away from the recent heatwave and, as we approached the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Bristol Flood, I found myself thinking a lot about that day. I was fortunate enough to join up with Ben on a day when he was working alongside [...]
Underfall Yard Trust is delighted to announce the launch of a new guide book: Heart of the Harbour: The Story of Underfall Yard. The book tells the fascinating story of the yard, which is bound up with the River Avon and the Floating Harbour. The book covers everything from the original course of the tidal River Avon, which ran through Underfall Yard; the creation of an [...]
Whilst Bristol’s Harbourside is ever-changing, some things at Underfall Yard have remained perfectly the same. For many years now, Fridays at the Yard have bought with them fried breakfasts, door stop sandwiches and a tradition of celebrating the end of the week by sitting down and sharing a greasy, well-deserved meal. James Clarke started working at Underfall Yard in 1998, as a boat builder and [...]
In 2017, Adventurous Activity Company took many groups onto the water in canoes and kayaks as well as delivering their popular raft building challenges. The challenge involves teams of around 4 or 5 designing, building and racing rafts constructed from barrels, wooden poles and ropes. Success was mixed with disaster: it’s safe to say that the boat builders at Underfall Yard needn’t worry about competition! [...]
Every year since 2007, Classic Boat has celebrated the best restorations, newly built boats, people and more, in the wonderful world of traditional vessels and the people who make them float. The boats and people shortlisted this year include nominees from the yard. You can vote once in each category, and we would strongly recommend voting for: Bristol 32 & 16 for Powered Vessel – New [...]
Over the last few days we have had the yard gates lock whilst RB Boatbuilding were launching their latest pilot cutter. Jonathan Livingston was taken out of the Big Shed on Friday 15 September and the crane arrived early Monday morning to get her into the harbour. We have captured much of the build using a time-lapse camera, which was purchased with support from the [...]
Much to our absolute delight, today we met Stanley Brown’s son George and his wife Mavis when they came to visit Underfall Yard. George remembered that his father’s apprenticeship had been at Llewellin and James foundry, which is profiled on Grace’s Guide. He also recalled memories of Uncle Bill who worked in the casting shop at Sampson’s on Malago Road, which is where Underfall Yard [...]