SS Great Britain Trust Great Western Dockyard Gas Ferry Road Bristol BS1 6TY
The Civic Society welcomes and supports the proposals to extend the current visitor attraction at the SS Great Britain into the adjacent Albion Dockyard.
There will be considerable heritage advantages in terms of delivering permanent control, management and maintenance of the Albion Dry Dock (Listed Grade II) and of Brunel’s Other Bridge – the Swivel Bridge (Listed II*). Moving the Swivel Bridge will take it away from an area which regularly floods and will facilitate its ongoing restoration. More widely, there will be wider benefits to the City Docks Conservation Area.
The proposals comply with the adopted development plan for the harbourside and will deliver a vibrant mixed-use scheme, providing an enhanced visitor attraction and opening up a new area to the visitor.
The concept of maintaining a working shipyard and dry dock, together with the construction of a replica of PS Great Western is an enticing one which the Society fully supports. There will be the added bonus of retaining maritime related employment, and of additional employment within the expanded visitor attraction as a whole.
Simon Birch
Is this the end of the Albion dry dock as a commercial venue for shipping ?
No it’s not the front half of the dry dock will and indeed is currently retained as a working dry dock operated by Sharpness Dock Compang.
Early days for the project but our understanding is that SSGB wishes to divide the Dry Dock laterally with the landward end used to build a replica of the Great Western and the Harbour part kept in use for commercial dry dock activities. They are keen to retain and to develop relevant skills. They need Lottery funding to make it a reality.
I’m sure SSGB can give you more uptodate information.