News / 40th anniversary
History of Bristol docks brought to life
A series of events recreating the working life of Bristol’s harbourside in the 1950s and 60s will take place this weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the last cargo ship leaving the city docks.
Based in the Floating Harbour, these docks were the centre of Bristol’s trade for centuries but were clipsed after the 1920s by Avonmouth docks.
Bristol’s city centre docks were gradually run down during the late 1960s for planned closure to commercial shipping in April 1975. The last regular trading ship left Princes Wharf (home of M Shed) in November 1974.
Over Saturday and Sunday, to celebrate the 40th anniversary, visitors to M Shed will be able to watch cargo handling demonstrations, while the engineering workshops and hydraulic house at the Underfall Yard will be open to visit and members of the Historical Diving Society will be giving displays.
The two sites will be linked by a special ferry service and there will be productions around the sites throughout both days by Show of Strength theatre company. The Balmoral cruise ship will be open for visits and M Shed will be running harbour trips on the 1935 tugboat John King.
Andy King, curator of industrial and maritime history at M Shed, said: “The harbour was a very different place only 40 years ago. By using the museum’s collections of working exhibits on the quayside and the Underfall Yard’s amazing site, we hope to give a strong sense of the way things used to be and deliver an event the whole family can enjoy.”
The activities run between 11am and 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday, and admission is free. The event has been sponsored by the Bristol Port Company.
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