Further information about the harbour

Bristol’s Floating Harbour has a rich and fascinating history. Bristol played an extremely important role in sea trade for hundreds of years, and as the scale of business and trade grew in the city, so did the need to develop the narrow and relatively small harbour. The Floating Harbour was developed into its current form in the early 19th century as a response, by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and providing a tidal by-pass for the river, referred to as The New Cut. It is often called the Floating Harbour as the water level remains constant and it is not affected by the state of the tide on the river. 

In the 1870s, new docks were built on the Severn estuary at Avonmouth and Portishead to accommodate larger ocean-going ships. Avonmouth was expanded greatly throughout the 1900s, although the Floating Harbour (known as the City Docks) remained important until its closure to commercial traffic in 1975.

You can view a detailed story map which explains the history of Bristol's Floating Harbour here, created by Peter Insole, Principal Historic Environment Officer at Bristol City Council.

The harbour and the ways that people have used it has evolved over time. The regeneration of derelict and unused wharves and waterfront sites over the past 50 years has breathed new economic, cultural and social life into the harbour area. Since the early 1970s the historic harbour has gone from a dying commercial port, to a thriving leisure waterway, a heritage asset and a multi-destination visitor attraction of international renown. The Harbour Festival, held annually, is one of the country’s largest free festivals.

The character of the Floating Harbour today varies along its length.

• The Leisure Harbour (Baltic Wharf, Poole’s Wharf, Spike Island, Albion Dock): This is a comparatively wide and open section of water, and as such has attracted water-based recreation which is focussed on Baltic Wharf. Spike Island is known for its clusters of maritime and creative businesses (Underfall Yard, Albion Dock, Albion Industrial Estate, Spike Island Arts Space).
  
  
• The Harbour Arena/commercial heart (Prince’s Wharf, Hannover Quay, St. Augustine’s Reach, Bathurst Basin, The Grove): This is the most vibrant and visited part of the harbour. Many of the city’s best loved cultural destinations are located here, as are the City’s key event spaces (Millennium Square & Lloyds Amphitheatre). Restaurants and bars can be found throughout the area (St. Augustine’s Reach, Wapping Wharf, The Grove).
  
  
• The Eastern Reaches (Welsh Back, Castle Park, Finzel’s Reach, Temple Back, Totterdown Basin): Dominated by office buildings, this is a quieter stretch of the harbour.

There is a lot going on in and around the harbour. We’ve listed some of the main projects below:

Growth and Regeneration Areas

The harbour connects the central area's three main regeneration areas:

Western Harbour, City Centre and Temple Quarter.

Significant investment is expected in each of these areas, bringing long-term, transformational change. Significant investment is also expected within the harbour project area, with key harbourside sides coming forward in the next couple of years.

Bristol's Heat Network

The City Leap Partnership has started installing Bristol's Heat Network, a new network of underground pipes that will provide affordable, low-carbon heat and energy across the city. The harbour has been identified as a source of sustainable energy, with England's largest water source heat pump installed at Castle Park. The Partnership is looking for more locations to install heat pumps, to serve Spike Island and the city centre.

Bristol Avon Flood Strategy

The harbour fulfils a vital practical and defensive function, managing water during extreme tidal and river flooding events. We worked with the Environment Agency to develop the Bristol Avon Flood Strategy to improve the existing flood defence function of the harbour and the tidal regime in the River Avon New Cut.

Whilst the focus of these flood defence measures will be the River Avon (rather than the Floating Harbour), the HPSS will still need to understand the implications of flood risk to the harbour, outlining appropriate responses.

Swimming in Bristol Harbour

Following a successful pilot of safely managed swim sessions during 2023, All Aboard Water Sports now run regular professionally supervised weekend swim sessions within a segregated swimming zone in Baltic Wharf. Their website has information on when the swim sessions take place and how to book.

The swim sessions are dependant on water quality meeting bathing water standards.

Outside of these arrangements it is still illegal to jump into, swim, or dive in any part of Bristol Harbour without getting consent from the Harbour Master.

Floating habitat

Funding has been secured from WECA's Green Recovery Fund for a major new floating habitat opposite the SS Great Britain. Work began on installing this in June 2024.

The HPSS will explore further opportunities to make sure wildlife can thrive.