The SS Great Britain

If you don't visit any other attraction in Bristol, you must see this one - amazing!

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Under the water - what on earth water is that - find out soon

This iron caisson keeps the water from the harbour out of the dry dock

SS Gt Britain's hull

corrosion on the hull

In 1937 SS Gt Britain was scuttled off the Falkland Islands and for 33 years was used the islanders as a wool warehouse - it was accessed at high tide via a cut-away at deck level which eventually split the ship's hull (2" at the bottom and 18" at the top) and these plates were bolted in place to enable the ship to be raised off the sea bed and brought back to Bristol

These are the feet that I could see in the second picture - Community Payback people are cleaning the glass which covers the dry dock under the ship

a dramatic ship against a rather dramatic sky

The original mast

The Foremast Top - part of the foremast which would have been about 65' (20mtrs) above the ship's weather deck

SS Gt Britain's original rudder

View towards Cumberland Basin from the prow of SS Gt Britain

The weather deck

the dock-side

with trunks and supplies waiting to be loaded

Down into the ship - to the First Class accommodation of course

The Captain Mathews and his First Officer discuss the day's duties in the Captain's State Room

The Chief Steward's Cabin

Officers travelling on the SS Gt Britain (1855) would have been allocated First Class accommodation 

The ships surgeon

The Galley

Fish or pork chops?

and jelly or cake for dessert?

The Promenade Saloon - first class passenger cabins line the sides - each cabin has two bunks and a wash basin

and has a private area for women only

The ship's prow - I would have loved to have climbed up there to look down through those windows

There are cabins tucked into every available space - the bunks are about 20" wide

A (barber) passenger sets himself up for business in his cabin

A family room - 4 bunks

The Heads (ships toilet) and one of the few bathrooms

First Class Dining Saloon

All sorts of entertainment when on in the saloon, concerts, amateur theatrics etc

Ships stores

Mulligatawny Soup to start followed by Roasted Veal - all from a couple of tins!

In Steerage
the cheapest accommodation on board

on SS Gt Britain is located on the lower decks in the foreword end

Many a baby would have been born on these long voyages

A cat-fight

Steerage passengers had to live close to their neighbours - it would have been hot, noisy, and smelly and people would 'fall-out' regularly

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The ships engine was not working on the day I visited - the engineer standing there looks rather small in relation to the large cogs

Stoking the ships engines must have been a hard, hot task

In the Hold - the 57th Regiment of Foot 1855 kept their horses, stores and equipment

During the long voyages the hold would hold live animals (sheep, pigs, fowl etc) for food plus the food for those animals, plus everything else for passengers comfort

looking up at the prow

and along the dockside

the very elegant

and impressive stern

SS Matthew seen from the deck of Gt Britain

and Rock n Roll across the harbour

and upstream

To me this is quite wondrous - showing how everything and everyone had space in the ship

I do love this sort of picture.  The guide book on sale is well worth buying.