Colour Centre

Old City Gaol

Wapping Wharf · 0.6 miles

The New Gaol was a prison located in Spike Island, Bristol, England, operational between 1820 and 1883.

M Shed

Wapping Wharf · 0.6 miles

Industrial museum – Museum about Bristol with a collection of historic ships

Mayflower

Wapping Wharf · 0.6 miles

Mayflower is an 1861 steam tug. It is in working condition and operates trips some weekend in the summer

Pyronaut

Wapping Wharf · 0.6 miles

Pyronaut is the Ex Bristol Fire Boat.

John King

Wapping Wharf · 0.6 miles

A diesel-powered tug from the mid-1930s now operates as a floating exhibit in Bristol Harbour, moored beside the M Shed museum on the waterfront. The vessel, known as John King, was constructed by the shipbuilder Charles Hill & Sons Ltd in Bristol and measures 65 ft in length with a 17 ft beam and a depth of 7.1 ft, displacing 49 gross tons. Its official United Kingdom number is 163865, and it is listed as a historic ship on OpenStreetMap, with the nearest landmark identified as Wapping Wharf. Built for the firm C.J. King and Sons Limited, John King entered service after being launched on 21 October 1935 and handed over on 15 November of the same year. The tug initially assisted vessels entering and leaving the City Docks, a role that diminished when commercial traffic shifted to Avonmouth. In 1962 the original Petter engine was replaced by a Lister Blackstone unit. Notable assignments included towing the SS Great Britain from Avonmouth to the City Docks on 6 July 1970 and subsequently moving it into the Great Western Dockyard on 19 July. After a series of ownership changes – becoming Peter Leigh, then Pride, and later Durdham – the tug remained active on the River Severn and in Bristol until the late 1970s. The vessel was acquired by Bristol Museums Galleries & Archives in 1995, restored to its appearance during the C.J. King and Sons period, and returned to the name John King. It now carries visitors on harbour trips alongside the museum’s other historic vessels, Mayflower and Pyronaut, offering a practical insight into Bristol’s maritime heritage. Access to the tug is through the M Shed, which serves as the operating base and visitor centre for the exhibit.

Floating Harbour

Canon's Marsh · 0.6 miles

The waterway that runs through Bristol’s city centre, close to Canon’s Marsh, is known locally as the Floating Harbour. Covering roughly 70 acres (28 hectares), it occupies the former tidal course of the River Avon, which was transformed in 1809 so that the water level remains steady and is not subject to the river’s natural tides. A dam and lock at Hotwells, together with the New Cut that carries the tidal Avon, keep the harbour’s surface constant, allowing vessels to stay afloat even at low tide. The eastern limit of the harbour is marked by Netham Lock, where the Feeder Canal links back to the navigable River Avon and the tidal branch. The harbour stretches from the vicinity of Bristol Temple Meads railway station, passing through the city centre, Canon’s Marsh and Hotwells before re-joining the tidal river. Its course is lined with historic quays and lock complexes, including the Cumberland Basin with its listed quay walls. Because the waterway is open to the public, visitors can view the lock mechanisms and the narrowboats that use the channel without an entry fee. The area is reachable on foot from the railway station and is served by the city’s pedestrian network. No specific visitor facilities such as car parks or ticket offices are mentioned in the source material, so access is primarily via the surrounding streets and footpaths.