and Bristol's unique

Floating Harbour

Step back in time aboard Brunel’s ss Great Britain to a golden age of Victorian invention. The iron ship’s story is rich in triumphs, disaster, personal tragedy and joy, which culminates in her dramatic rescue and eventual return to the dock where she was built, here in Bristol. The Dockyard Museum charts the fascinating history of Brunel’s masterpiece and a guided audio tour of the vast ship provides dramatic recreations of the lives of real passengers and crew. Descend into the dry dock, under the "glass sea", for a close up of her giant hull and propeller, and walk into the engine room – as noisy and smelly as it was back in 1845, complete with stokers and engineers. A story brilliantly told - all museums should be like this!

To round off the day we have included a boat cruise around Bristol’s Floating Harbour – another remarkable achievement of Brunels and the answer to the ports periods of low water following its high tides. The Rivers Avon and Frome were diverted and dammed to provide a more or less constant water level and the surrounding warehouses, workshops, bridges and railways are the legacy of this development. A fascinating commentary will reveal the Victorian ingenuity that tamed the rivers and tides and allowed the city to flourish as a major port right up to the present day.