Bristol’s All Ship Shape, me Hearties!

It’s commonly thought that Bristol has been a port since the Saxon times. After London, during medieval times, Bristol competed with York to be the biggest city. Today, it’s the largest South Western city in England and still has strong connections to the sea.

Famous boats made in Bristol
History’s most famous adopted Bristolian, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was an influential engineer, creating or contributing to many important structures in Bristol. These includes the city’s floating harbour, which was a game changer for its time and is still in use today. Its lock system trapped water, allowing boats to stay afloat. Otherwise, they’d get trapped on sandbanks as water depleted in the area due to the changing tides.

Brunel designed the Great Western Steamship that was built in Bristol’s city harbour and launched in 1837. It was one of his first passenger ships that travelled between England and New York, from the Port of Bristol. But it was in 1843, that one of his greatest achievements, the SS Great Britain, was launched. It was the first propeller-driven and iron-hulled ship that crossed the Atlantic, making voyages from Brizzle to the Big Apple, as well as to the land down under, Australia. It was even used during the Crimean War.

In 1970, the SS Great Britain was transported back to Bristol, after spending many years abandoned and falling into severe disrepair. It was given a makeover and was gradually restored to its original magnificent glory as a 19th-century passenger ship. The SS Great Britain is currently situated where it was built and is now a popular attraction for visitors from around the world.

Our fascination with the sea
With the UK being surrounded by water, it’s no wonder that many of us on this island are fascinated with all things under it, especially in towns close to the sea, like Bristol. Towns like this have a long and rich history with the sea, so it’s no wonder there are so many references to their association with it, whether it be a ship like the SS Great Britain being docked for people to visit or fishing as a business or pastime. The sea and its many lifeforms have spread their tentacles into many areas of culture and media. This includes films, like the Pirates of the Caribbean series, with the infamous Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones. Not forgetting books like the timeless classics Moby Dick and Hornblower.

Games have also capitalised on the sea theme. In Fishing: North Atlantic, players get to do a number of things, such as developing different fishing techniques as they explore life under the sea in their hunt for ocean gold. The better fishermen they become, the more opportunity they have to upgrade to bigger and better fishing equipment and boats.

Another popular sea-themed game is Big Bass Splash, which can found at sites for playing casino games and bingo online. Although based in sunny Miami, it appeals to the British love for all things maritime. In the game, all you need to do is cast your line, far and wide and see what gets hooked on it! The game is stacked with seafaring images like a fisherman who helps you along your way and a hooked Bass fish jumping out of the water.

Other popular online games that have also capitalised on the sea theme include Release the Kraken 2. Amongst the seaweed, fish and coral, players encounter a fair few characters on reels. The Kraken is displayed on the wild symbols, which substitutes all symbols on the reel, apart from bonus symbols.

The UK has many ports and beaches as it’s surrounded by water. Different towns are renowned for their connection to the sea or ocean through their past, present and future. Take Bristol, for example, its thriving harbour was Bristol’s original port. Today, it’s owned by the Bristol Port Company, which also owns Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Docks. Even though it’s no longer known for its port, it has a long and rich maritime history, which the SS Great Britain.