Listing verified as genuine
Posted on 18th August 2015 / 987
Site Type : Industrial Heritage Sites / Organisation
Category : Maritime / Crane / Maritime / Dock / Maritime / Maritime / Maritime - other / Maritime / Ship / Vessel
Location : England / South West England / England / South West England / Bristol Area / England
Industry Type : Maritime, Transport
Power Type : Steam, Wind
Public or Private Site? : Public Access
Condition : Restored, Partially Restored

When launched in 1843 she was by far the largest vessel afloat.

She was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with an iron hull, a propeller and sails (the belt and braces approach) to be a trans-Atlantic passenger liner.

For a while things went well, but in 1846 she went a cropper in Dundrum Bay – an expensive navigational error. She was sold in 1852 and given a new life carrying immigrants to Australia, until converted to sail in 1881. But in 1884 she was retired in the Falkland Islands, where she was used as a quarantine ship, a warehouse, and coal hulk until she was deliberately sunk in 1937!

Thankfully, that wasn’t to be her fate and a large donation by Sir Jack Hayward saw her returned to the Bristol dry dock where she was built.

The ship can be viewed from nearly all angles and has been brilliantly restored.

Find all the juicy detail on Wikipedia HERE and visitor information HERE!

Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol BS1 6TY.

SS Great Britain

When launched in 1843 she was by far the largest vessel afloat.

She was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with an iron hull, a propeller and sails (the belt and braces approach) to be a trans-Atlantic passenger liner.

For a while things went well, but in 1846 she went a cropper in Dundrum Bay – an expensive navigational error. She was sold in 1852 and given a new life carrying immigrants to Australia, until converted to sail in 1881. But in 1884 she was retired in the Falkland Islands, where she was used as a quarantine ship, a warehouse, and coal hulk until she was deliberately sunk in 1937!

Thankfully, that wasn’t to be her fate and a large donation by Sir Jack Hayward saw her returned to the Bristol dry dock where she was built.

The ship can be viewed from nearly all angles and has been brilliantly restored.

Find all the juicy detail on Wikipedia HERE and visitor information HERE!

Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol BS1 6TY.

SS Great Britain
Site Type : Industrial Heritage Sites / Organisation
Category : Maritime / Crane / Maritime / Dock / Maritime / Maritime / Maritime - other / Maritime / Ship / Vessel
Location : England / South West England / England / South West England / Bristol Area / England
Industry Type : Maritime, Transport
Power Type : Steam, Wind
Public or Private Site? : Public Access
Condition : Restored, Partially Restored
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