Bristol Harbour Located in the city of Bristol, Avon. (Welsh Back, Bristol BS1 4SP,)  The harbour covers an area of 70 acres. This Harbour existed Since 13^th century. The rivers have been modified for use as docks including the diversion of the River Frome in the 1240s into an artificial deep channel known as “Saint Augustine’s Reach”, which flowed into the River Avon. Saint Augustine’s Reach became the heart of Bristol’s docks with its quays and wharfs.

Netham Lock

Netham Lock in east Bristol is the upstream limit of the harbour. Beyond the lock is a junction, on one hand, the navigable River Avon continues upstream to Bath, and on the other hand, is the tidal River Avon. The first 1 mile of the floating harbour, downstream from Netham Lock to Totterdown Basin, is an artificial canal known as the Feeder Canal, while the tidal River Avon follows its original route. Downstream of Totterdown Basin, the floating harbour occupies the former natural course of the River Avon, whilst the tidal River Avon flows through an artificial channel known as the New Cut. This separation of the floating harbour and the tidal River Avon allows boats in the harbour to remain floating at low tide, reduces currents and silting and prevents flooding.

River Avon and harbour Run parallel between Bristol Temple, Meads Railway station and Hotwells at a distance, not more than 0.65 miles apart. Downstream of Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station, the Harbour meanders through Bristol City Center, Canons Marsh and Hotwells. The floating Harbour rejoins the tidal River Avon at Hotwells via a series of locks and floes into the Avon Gorge.

The Bristol Harbour was the original Port of Bristol, but with the passes, the number of ships and their cargo has increased in size, it has now largely been replaced by docks at Avonmouth and Portbury. These are located 7 miles downstream at the mouth of the River Avon.

Improvements Bristol Harbour till 2020

In the 18^th century, the competition was increased in Tabacoo Trade as the Docks in Liverpool was grew large and coastal trade was also important at that time with an area called welsh back. Also focusing on trows with cargoes from slate industry in Wales, Timber, Stones and Coal and the limitations of Bristol Docks was causing problems in Business, due to which William Jessop proposed installing a Dam and lock at hot wells to create the Harbour in 1802. The parliament approved the scheme with a budget of £530,000. This scheme includes the construction of Cumberland Basin and a large stretch of the harbor in Hotwells where the Quay walls and bollards have listed building status.

The Tidal new cut was constructed from Netham to Hotwells, with another dam installed at this end of the Harbour. A link was provided between feeder Canal and temple meads and Netham to the tidal river so that the boats could continue upstream to Bath.

However, a new scheme has required a way to equalize the levels inside and outside the Dock for the passage of the vessels to and from the Avon and bridges cross the water. The Jessop built Cumberland Basin with two entrance locks from the Tidal Avon width 45 ft (13.7 m) and 35 ft (10.7 m), and a 45 feet (13.7 m) wide junction lock between the Basin and what became known as the Floating Harbour. This arrangement provided the flexibility of operation with the Basin being used as a lock when there were large numbers of arrivals and sailings. The harbour was officially opened on 1 May 1809.

Patterson’s yard within the harbour was used for the construction of many ships notably Brunel’s SS Great Western in 1838 and the SS Great Britain in 1843. They were some of the largest ships to have been built at the time, and ironically hastened the decline of the city docks by proving the feasibility of large ships. The SS Great Britain was to be towed away from her builders, to have her 1,000 hp engines and interior fitted out on the River Thames, but her 48 ft (14.6 m) beam was too big to pass through the lock. Thus the SS Great Britain was moored in the Floating Harbour until December 1844, before proceeding into Cumberland Basin after coping stones and lock gate platforms were removed from the Junction Lock. At one time there were dozens of Bristol shipyards, the largest in the harbour being Hillhouse, who became Charles Hill & Sons in 1845.

The harbour cost more than anticipated and high rates were levied to repay loans, reducing any benefit the new harbour had at drawing companies back from Liverpool. In 1848 the city council bought the docks company to force down the rates. They employed Isambard Kingdom Brunel to make improvements, including new lock gates, a dredger and sluice gates designed to reduce siltation. By 1867, ships were getting larger and the meanders in the river Avon prevented vessels over 300 ft (91 m) from reaching the harbour. A scheme to install a much larger lock at Avonmouth to make the entire river a floating harbour, and to straighten the sharper bends, was dropped after work began on the much cheaper docks at Avonmouth and Portishead. The present entrance lock was designed by Thomas Howard and opened in July 1873. This has a width of 62 ft (18.9 m) and is the only entrance lock now in use at the City Docks. From 1893 until 1934 the Clifton Rocks Railway provided an underground funicular railway link from the western end of the harbour, which is close to the locks, into Clifton.

The Bristol Harbour Today

The harbour is now a tourist attraction with museums, galleries, exhibitions, bars and nightclubs. Former workshops and warehouses have now largely been converted or replaced by cultural venues, such as the Arnolfini art gallery, Watershed media and arts centre, M Shed museum, Antlers Gallery and the We The Curious science exhibition centre, as well as a number of fashionable apartment buildings. The Bristol Harbour Railway, operated by M Shed, runs between the museum and the CREATE Centre on some weekends and bank holidays. Historic boats are permanently berthed in the harbour. These include Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain, which was the first iron-hulled and propeller-driven ocean liner; and a replica of the Matthew, in which John Cabot sailed to North America in 1497. The historic vessels of M Shed museum, which include the steam tug Mayflower, fire float Pyronaut and motor tug John King, are periodically operated. Bristol Ferry Boats and Number Seven Boat Trips operate ferry services along the harbour from near Temple Meads station to the Underfall Yard, serving landing stages in the city centre and close to most of the harbour-side attractions. A separate cross-harbour ferry carries pedestrians from the ferry landing at Great Britain to the new harbour inlet opposite. Bristol Packet Boat Trips offer regular harbour tours with commentaries and river cruises on the Tower Belle up the River Avon to Conham, Hanham and Bath and downstream to Avonmouth. In late July each year, the Bristol Harbour Festival is held, resulting in an influx of boats, including tall ships, Royal Navy vessels and lifeboats.

Events at Bristol Harbour

Bristol Harbour hosts the Bristol Harbour Festival in July of each year, attended by tall ships and hundreds of ships and boats of all kinds. About 200,000 visitors view the boats and watch live music, street performances and other entertainments. In 1996, the harbour was the setting for the first International Festival of the Sea. A larger version of the annual harbour festivals, this was attended by many tall ships, including the Eye of the Wind, Pride of Baltimore, Rose, Kaskelot and Earl of Pembroke. The key theme was John Cabot’s pioneering voyage of discovery to the Americas and a replica of Cabot’s ship, the Matthew, was dedicated prior to its reenactment of Cabot’s voyage the following year. In 2009, the 200th anniversary of the Floating Harbour was commemorated with a series of celebratory events.

Few Pictures of Bristol Harbour Festival 2017

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