Now a tourist-friendly destination with restaurants, bars, hotels and museums, it’s easy to forget that Bristol’s Harbourside was once a busy working dock.
It was a thriving port where sailors and merchants traded goods and set sail for famous voyages on the high seas.
Walk around the docks today and you’ll still see plenty of boats and reminders of its maritime heritage, as well as people taking part in watersports like paddleboarding, rowing and yachting.
It’s also home to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, which continues to be one of Bristol’s tourism jewels, and the iconic cranes outside the Mshed museum.
Bristol’s docks have certainly altered a lot over the years so we’ve trawled through the archives to find ten photos showing the changing face of the harbourside.
1. Warships
German warships in the floating harbour, July 12, 1977. Does anybody know the event? Photo by Colin Park | Colin Park
2. The Grove
The Devonia moored in the floating harbour, May 10, 1978, on the spot where The Thekla is today. Photo by Colin Park. | Colin Park
3. Redcliffe
Busy view of the floating harbour looking east from Prince Street bridge and towards St Mary Redcliffe Church, circa 1890. | Bristol City Council
4. Speedboats
Powerboat racing was a common sight in Bristol’s docks from 1972 until 1990, attracting crowds of thousands, as in this photo from June 1982. The powerboats often reached speeds of over 100mph but there were sadly seven deaths over the two decades. Photo by Keith Edkins. | Keith Edkins