News / brunel
Renovation of Underfall Yard begins
A multi-million pound renovation project at one of Bristol’s best-kept secrets has begun.
Underfall Yard shipyard – which Isambard Kingdom Brunel had a part in designing – played a crucial role in the development of the Floating Harbour and is now the centre of traditional boat building and marine crafts in the city.
Now, as part of a £3.8m development project, the Underfall Yard Trust is beginning a programme of repairs to the historic industrial buildings, and the addition of solar panels, a new visitor centre and cafe.
is needed now More than ever
Underfall Yard is designated as a scheduled ancient monument and therefore has the same historical status as Stonehenge, but few people who wander through the yard, between the ss Great Britain and the Cumberland Basin, perhaps realise its significance in the economic and historical development of Bristol.
The development of the yard was instrumental in the creation of the Floating Harbour and the huge pumps helped keep the water clear of silt and mud.
The work is being carried out by St George-based John Perkins Construction who is stepping into some big historical shoes.
Past engineers involved in Underfall Yard include William Jessop and Brunel and the lesser-known John Ward Girdlestone, who built most of the buildings and the boatyard’s slipway.
The pump rooms were used until relatively recently to drain the floating harbour. The buildings which house them will now be part of the refurbishment project
The initial programme of building work is due to finish in time for Easter 2016.
The Heritage Lottery Fund is contributing £2.8 million, or 74 per cent of the total costs, which also cover displays, signage, an oral history project, a schools education programme and events.
Construction work will safeguard the red brick buildings, including Grade 2* listed landmarks the Power House and chimney, and will bring abandoned workshop space back into use.
Underfall Yard is already home to a number of maritime businesses and organisations, including boat builders, a blacksmith and a diving club.
The yard is home to a number of traditional maritime craftspeople including boat builder Tim Loftus
Chairman of the Underfall Yard Trust Ian Wilkinson said: “This is a great day for the Underfall Yard and a great day for Bristol. Underfall Yard is an historic gem, the heart of the Floating Harbour.
“Our work, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will see a period of dramatic change, giving vulnerable historic buildings a new lease of life and the people of Bristol a true understanding of its importance to the city’s future as well as its fascinating past.”
The Underfall Yard in 1826 (Credit: Bristol Museums and Archives)
The Underfall Yard Trust’s project director Nicola Dyer added: “This is a truly exciting phase in the £3.8 million project, where we will see the site transform and improve whilst retaining the raw, working atmosphere that everyone who knows the Yard loves.
“Highlights will include a new visitor centre, packed with people’s stories, historic details and engineering feats, and a huge map of the Floating Harbour, and also a cafe.”