Bristol Ferry Boats

Brigantia heading down St. Augustine's Reach towards the City Centre landing stage

Bristol Ferry Boats is a brand of water bus services operating around Bristol Harbour in the centre of the English city of Bristol, using a fleet of distinctive yellow-and-blue painted ferry boats. The services were formerly owned by the Bristol Ferry Boat Company, but are now the responsibility of Bristol Community Ferry Boats, a community interest company that acquired the fleet of the previous company.[1][2]

The company operates scheduled ferry services, along with educational and public boat cruises and private hire of boats. Scheduled services operate on two routes linking Bristol city centre to Temple Meads railway station and Hotwells, serving 17 landing stages throughout the length of the harbour, including one at Brunel's famous SS Great Britain. Services are provided on a commercial basis without subsidy and are subject to competition.[1][2]

## History

[edit]

Emily passes the Welsh Back landing stage, with Bristol Bridge in the background

City Docks Ventures, a non-profit making conservation group in Bristol, started the initiative in 1977, with the purchase of the ferry boat Margaret, to be skippered by Ian Bungard. In 1978, Ian Bungard bought Margaret and started to build up the business. In 1980 Margaret was joined by Independence. The ferry service offered all year round leisure, sightseeing, and commuting, as well as private hire, and typified the transformation of Bristol's Floating Harbour from cargo trading vessels to leisure. In 1984 Royal Mail chose an image of Margaret to feature on one of its special edition 'Urban Renewal' stamps; the yellow and blue painted boats had become a well known brand.[3][4][5]

In 1992, the company acquired Emily, their first enclosed launch. In 1997 this was joined by Matilda, another enclosed launch and the first vessel purpose built for Bristol Ferry Boats.[4]

In 2002 Ian Bungard sold the business to Rob and Jane Salvidge. From 2002, the company operated additional commuter services to Hotwells and Bristol Temple Meads that were subsidised by, and under contract to, Bristol City Council. In 2004, a cross-harbour shuttle ferry was introduced between SS Great Britain and Capricorn Quay was introduced on the same basis. In 2006, the launch Brigantia joined the fleet, to a design based on that of Matilda. However, in 2007, the contract for the subsidised services was lost to Number Seven Boat Trips, who operated the commuter service until it ceased in 2011 and continue to operate the cross-harbour ferry. Bristol Ferry Boats continued to operate their main commercial services.[2][4]

In November 2012, the Bristol Ferry Boat Company went into liquidation, with debts of over £10,000 owed to Bristol City Council for navigation and mooring fees, and for office rent. Supporters of the company, including Ian Bungard (the original owner), bought back the fleet at the receivers' auction. In 2013, the campaign to transform the company into community ownership was well oversubscribed. Bristol Community Ferry Boats Limited is the result, now owned by its 871 shareholders from all around Bristol.[2][3][6][7]

## Scheduled services

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Matilda alongside the City Centre landing stage at the head of St. Augustine's Reach

Bristol Ferry Boats operate 364 days a year, with a single through route linking Temple Meads railway station and Hotwells via Bristol city centre. Services operate every 40 minutes. The following landing stages are served:[8][9]

#  | Landing stage  | For

|
|

1 | City Centre | The Centre, Watershed Arts Centre, Bristol Cathedral, College Green and City Hall
2 | Cannons Marsh | Millennium Square and At-Bristol
3 | Harbour Inlet
4 | Mardyke |
5 | Hotwells-Pumphouse | Hotwells and Clifton Suspension Bridge (20 mins uphill walk)
6 | Hotwells-The Nova Scotia | Cumberland Basin and Underfall Yard
7 | Hotwells-The Cottage |
8 | Marina | Bristol Marina
9 | Great Britain | Preserved Brunel steamship Great Britain
10 | Wapping Wharf |
11 | Prince Street Bridge | Arnolfini Art Gallery, Queen Square, M Shed and Bristol Harbour Railway
12 | Bathurst Basin | Bathurst Basin
13 | Welsh Back | Welsh Back, Bristol Bridge, Llandoger Trow and St Nicholas Market
14 | Redcliffe Back |
15 | Castle Park | Castle Park and Broadmead shopping district (with Cabot Circus and Galleries malls)
16 | Temple Bridge | Cheese Lane Shot Tower
17 | Temple Quay | Bristol Temple Meads railway station

## Fleet

[edit]

The fleet of the Bristol Ferry Boats comprises the following vessels:[4]

Name  | Built  | Acquired  | Passenger Capacity  | Notes  | Image

|
|
|
|
|

Brigantia | 2006 | 2006 | 50 | Steel-hulled enclosed launch. Purpose-built for Bristol Ferry, based on the design for Matilda but equipped with a retractable wheelhouse and a wheelchair lift. |
Emily | 1927 | 1992 | 48 | Wooden-hulled enclosed launch. Built in Bideford, and previously used at Scarborough and in Gloucester Docks. |
Independence | 1927 | 1980 | 46 | Wooden-hulled open launch. Previously used on the Severn and Wye, and on the Erewash Canal. |
Juno | 1990 | 2024 | 48 | Wooden‑hulled launch with a canopy over the stern section, wheelhouse for the skipper, and open bow. Built in 1990 for service at Whitby as the Oban Marina Ferry, later operated on the River Tees by RiverShack; donated to Bristol Ferry Boats in 2024 and refurbished for service in 2025. Licensed to operate between Pulteney Weir and Cumberland Basin.[10][11] |
Margaret | 1952 | 1977 | 28 | Wooden-hulled open launch. Built in Appledore for service in Lynmouth to replace a vessel wrecked in the flood of 1952, and later used as a ferry across the Avon between Shirehampton and Pill. |
Matilda | 1997 | 1997 | 50 | Steel-hulled enclosed launch, with a length of 14.02 m (46.0 ft) and a beam of 4.61 m (15.1 ft). Purpose-built for Bristol Ferry |

The Matilda and Brigantia are licensed to operate on the tidal Avon downstream from Bristol through the Avon Gorge to Avonmouth, as well as throughout Bristol Harbour and on the Avon upstream to the city of Bath. The other vessels are restricted to Bristol Harbour and the upstream Avon.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Home Page". Bristol Ferry Boats. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
2. ^ a b c d "Ferry Operations" (PDF). Committee Minutes. Bristol City Council. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
3. ^ a b Staff (31 December 2012). "Group steps in to rescue bust ferry boat company". This Is Bristol. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
4. ^ a b c d e "Our Boats". Bristol Ferry Boats. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
5. ^ "About Us". Bristol Ferry Boats. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
6. ^ "Bristol Ferry Boat Company goes out of business". This is Bristol. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
7. ^ Staff (28 January 2013). "'Sunk' Bristol Ferry Boat Company back in business again". This Is Bristol. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
8. ^ "Timetable". Bristol Ferry Boats. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
9. ^ "Bristol Floating Harbour Ferry Map". Bristol Ferry Boats. Archived from the original on 14 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
10. ^ "Juno". Bristol Ferry Boats. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
11. ^ Booth, Martin (8 November 2023). "Juno becomes latest boat in Bristol Ferry fleet". Bristol24/7. Retrieved 29 July 2025.

## External links

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