Bristol June 21

I have had many trips to Abbey Wood, Bristol, but never visited as a tourist. Although the CAMC site at Baltic Wharf is a bit above our usual budget, we decided to spend a few days there between our stays in Dorset and Wales. Sadly, the site will be closing down in September as the land is prime building land and therefore the lease has not been renewed. I am really glad we had managed to make it there in time as it was a very enjoyable stay.

We spent our three days exploring the floating docklands, which were accessible directly from the back gate of the site. We decided against a visit to the SS Great Britain although it was an impressive sight from the dockside and the water. Instead we had a river tour, which provided us with a nice snapshot of the history of the area and the SS Great Britain. The story of how the SS Great Britain was brought back from the Falklands and renovated is shown in storyboards outside the museum for free.

SS Great Britain
Floating Docklands

Typical Bristol colourful houses

Out of the campsite and turn left, took us to Underfall Yard where the old boatbuilding skills are still used for restoration purposes.

Underfall Yard is a working boatyard that welcomes visitors. There is an ever changing landscape of boats to enjoy thanks to the skilled maritime businesses that call the yard home. They have organisations relating to boat building, rigging, blacksmithing, marine engineering, marine safety, maritime training and maritime leisure pursuits. In their Visitor Centre you can explore the fascinating story of Bristol’s Floating Harbour through hands-on displays, a giant interactive map and with the help of their amazing volunteers.

The walk through the yard is extremely interesting and there is a harbourside restaurant which was quite busy while we were there. The backdrop is provided by old red brick warehouses and in the distance, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It is possible to visit the bridge, but we were not there long enough.

Underfall Yard

Clifton Suspension Bridge

We walked to the cathedral which is quite close to the harbourside. It has a well kept garden and a cafe in the cloisters.

Bristol Cathedral


Verdant Cathedral gardens


The trip to Bristol was so enjoyable, we would definitely visit again. It is just a shame that we will not be be able to stay at the same location.