Bristol - Maritime history and a bit more

Bristol in the south west of England has a rich and famous maritime and Engineering history based on travel, made from its location and links with the sea. The city has done well to preserve this heritage and there is evidence for these links not just on the water....

"Sailing South" !!

When visiting any location, the famous people are usually local to the area, but the first man to make his mark on the city was an Italian 15th century trader and explorer.

John Cabot had an unusual background as there was some confusion over his place of birth due to the translation of his name. He lived in Venice for a while and consequently was able to trade in the Mediterranean at a time of great prosperity. Due to later financial difficulties, he was forced to move to Spain looking for work which turned out to be unsuccessful in both Valencia and Seville. Christopher Columbus had just discovered North America about this time and he tried to gain funding and backing to replicate the trip from both Seville and Lisbon. The authorities wouldn't entertain the idea and eventually he arrived in London where he got his wish.
He relocated to Bristol which was the second largest English seaport at that time to prepare for the voyage with The Matthew. The first trip didn't work out well as the crew underestimated on 7 months supplies and had to return before embarking on a second trip and eventually landing in Newfoundland in 1497. The details after this point are a bit vague but in the following two years, he organised another unsuccessful atlantic crossing which was affected by the weather and some of his fleet were lost. It is not known whether he died in England or at sea in 1499, but with the lure of conquering the Ocean once..... I'll let you make up your mind !!

The Matthew "replica"

Anniversaries of the event have been commemorated down the centuries and a replica boat was built which successfully crossed the Atlantic in 1997 which was met by the Queen, Canadian and Italian dignitaries.
When not on tour, the vessel does sedate and peaceful selected evening trips around the harbour.... nice experience, although I was struck by the fact during the sail that it is difficult to believe that it crossed the Atlantic both in the original form and the replica.

Tall things... ancient and modern !!

In 1897, Cabot's Tower was built out of red sandstone on a prominent hill seen here between the Cathedral Tower and an industrial harbour side chimney. It is poignant that my time in Bristol was at a time of significant redevelopment and a crane seemed to be always part of the skyline. It was unfortunate when I visited the Tower on several occasions that it is in a slight state of disrepair due to underfunding with temporary fencing around the area.... that's another story though.

During the 19th century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was at the forefront along with other builders constructing the railways of Britain. Brunel originally from Portsmouth, had more than just an interest in railways and I'm not just talking about his fashion !! .....

Little man syndrome ... Tall hat !!

There is so much to this man, it is difficult to know where to start. He had great and grand plans that were largely successful but like all inventors and builders, some prototypes didn't stand the test of time.

He was given the task of building a railway initially from London to Bristol which terminated at the magnificent structure of Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

The building had a dedicated platform as a terminus which is unfortunately now a mix of station car park, Commonwealth museum and Nursery. Brunel extended his railway and bridge work further into South West England to continue his "Great Western Railway" project and the need for the terminus platform to the west of the station was reduced.

"Now where did I leave my bike ?!"

Like all great cities of our day, travelling and commuting are a problem. This was the view inside the station on many of the day trips I took to local towns nearby.

SS Great Britain in dry dock

Brunel had plans for people to travel from London to Bristol by train and then cross the Atlantic by boat. The three famous ships were the SS Great Western (the longest ship in the world at that time),

SS Great Britain (the first non wood ship / first propellor driven ocean ship) and the unsuccessful  Great Eastern (the longest ship, once again, of its time). It is unfortunate that the Great Eastern was well ahead of its time and ran into budgetary and technical problems as a passenger ship. It eventually ended up for industrial use. Not quite what Brunel had in mind.

Gateway to America 1840's

Lastly, there was a competition to build a bridge ( first photo of this set and also in the background of the above to the right ) and although I'll not go into the underhand tactics used in the competition !! , but Brunel's design for the Clifton Suspension Bridge was the eventual winner. Sadly he did not see the completed structure as he died from illness, aged 53.

These days, passengers can still leave Bristol harbour (when the tide time is suitable for the River Avon) for trips in the Severn Estuary / Bristol Channel. I once had the opportunity to travel on the Balmoral from Clevedon to Illfracombe and it was an awesome experience passing all the ships at a speed of 20 knots.

As I said earlier, Bristol has done well to preserve the maritime heritage in a modern city. Cranes line the harbourside in front of the Industrial museum (currently closed long term for upgrading) while at the same time the view to the left is one of postcard beauty...

St Mary Redcliffe church

The harbourside is accessible for both the commuter in the morning and the tourist throughout the day from the above landing stage by a fleet of various boats and the Bristol Ferry company....

"Matilda"

Modern Engineering ... Pero's bridge

Some aspects of the harbourside such as the footbridge may seem modern but on examination reveal a small glimpse of Bristol's infamous past with the slave trade saga.

Boat Restaurant

It may seem unusual but boats in the harbour have different uses other than their intended purpose and each have to pay rent for the right to dock.

house .... and garden

Like all modern city riverside developments, living accommodation is highly sought after and old grain stores are converted into top class apartments as is evident from the above photo. However, as construction is an on going process, some sights are difficult to take in......