Bristol Harbour Ferry Boats

Exciting Boat Trips from Bristol’s Floating Harbour

Fancy a Boat Trip with Bristol Ferry Boats? – Bristol Ferry Boats offer a number of different trips, a great way to see the City from a different viewpoint.  Bristol Ferry Boats has been running since 1977.  The iconic blue and yellow Ferry Boats can be seen travelling around the harbour almost every day of the year.  They provide a community focused, friendly ferry service and pride themselves on their unrivalled reliability.  Visitors are safe in the knowledge that they run their service every day except Christmas day, come rain or shine.  You will always receive a warm Bristol welcome their staff.

Bristol Ferry Boats Bury Hill Farm

Wednesday Sundown Sailings – A lovely cruise around the Harbour, listening to music, watching the sun go down.  The trip includes tapas and cheese to complement two drinks of either Gin, Sherry or Rum (drinks depend on dates booked).  There are two departure times from the City Centre at 7pm and 9pm the trip lasts for 2 hours.  Tickets are £20 per person.

Brunel’s Bristol Boat Tour – A comprehensive tour of Brunel’s famous Bristol Landmarks.  Departing from Bristol Temple Meads, sailing past the SS Great Britain and on toward the historic lock gates, where Brunel’s other Bridge is laid.  Traveling away from the harbour along the Avon Gorge underneath the famous Clifton Suspension Bristol and then returning back to the Bristol Floating Harbour.  A great way to see some of Bristol’s Landmarks.  This trip lasts for 2 hours and 40 minutes.  Tickets – Adults £15, Children £12, Concessions £12 or Family of 5 £45.

Avon Gorge Trip – An exciting cruise along the Avon Gorge, with commentary throughout.  Departing from SS Great Britain leaving the floating harbour, along the Avon Gorge, underneath the amazing Clifton Suspension Bridge, Passing the ancient port of Sea Mills and the Village of Pill and onto Avonmouth (if the tide allows) and then returning back to the floating harbour.  This trip lasts for 3.5 hours.  Tickets – Adults £18.50, Children £16.50, Concessions £16.50 or Family of 5 £55.

Full map HERE

Bristol Ferry Boats Map

 

Booze Cruises and Boat Parties – Private Hire – There is a variety of packages on offer – Vintage Tea Party, Bubbly Breakfast, Booze Cruises and Party Packages offering trips to dockside pubs and bars.  Catering for parties ranging from 25  to 45 people, with fully licensed CASH ONLY bars and music.  You have the opportunity to hop on and off of the boat and visit a wide range of Bars and Pubs.  These are fantastic trips, perfect for any celebration and for Hen Parties, a great way to start your weekend visit to Bristol.  There are many options available to create a bespoke party.  Find out more HERE.

Sunday Riverside Roast – A lazy cruise along the River Avon, departing from Welsh Back.  This is a very relaxed river cruise, after sailing through the City, see Bristol’s countryside from the water as it travels along the feeder canal and through Netham Lock along the riverbanks of St Anne’s and Conham River Park.  Enjoy the wildlife, you may see Otters, Swans, Deer, Foxes, Squirrels, Kingsfishers, Ducks etc.  Gently cruising onto the very popular Beese’s Riverside Tea Rooms to enjoy a delicious roast dinner and then have time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Tea Rooms until it’s time to make the journey back to Bristol.  This trip lasts (including your meal) for 3 hours.  Ticket prices include your food – Adults £25.00, Concessions £19.00.  Advance Bookings are essential as these trips are very popular.

Friday trip to Beese’s with live music – A Great way to start the weekend, departing from Welshback, a super river cruise sailing from Bristol, through the countryside to the very popular Beese’s Riverside Tea Rooms, where you can enjoy a meal and watch a live band most Fridays.  Some Fridays the tide doesn’t allow for these trips, but that’s only a few.  Drinks are available to buy (cash only) onboard during your trip.  This is a one-way trip, so that you can enjoy the whole evening dancing, you will need to book a taxi for the return journey.  Ticket prices include entry and food at Beese’s – Adults £21.00.  Advance bookings are essential.

Live Music Beese's Tea Rooms Bristol Bury Hill Farm

Band line ups for these trips for 2019 :-

26th April             Belle Rose

3rd May                Fiesta Latina

10th May              Dysfunktional

24th May              The Mayfair Players

31st May              Funk Husky

7th June                Soul Reason

14th June              The Bad Losers

21st June              The Jumps

28th June              Dukes of Mumbai

12th July               Finger Buffet

19th July               Dappa Don & The Playaz

26th July               Fromage en Feu

9th August            Stiff Upper Lips

16th August         JJ Gatsby

23rd August         The Jumps

6th September    Natty Daps

More about Beese’s Riverside Tea Rooms

Beese’s Riverside Tea Rooms is a hidden treasure, set beside a pleasantly wooded stretch of the river Avon. For some, a haven of tranquillity, where generations of city dwellers would put their cares of the city behind them for a time.  Visitors range from families, ramblers, cyclists, dog walkers and, of course, river-users swimming or rowing leisurely by.

Beeses Tea Rooms Bury Hill Farm

In more recent years, Beese’s can be a lively place, whether it’s a friends’ get-together, a birthday or wedding celebration, or one of Beese’s music nights.

Beese’s is open each year for the spring and summer.  They have live music most Friday evenings, including a mix of known Bristol bands and visitors from afar.  There has been an annual beer festival since 2009.  Visit their Website for more information.

 

Back to Bristol Ferry Boats –  There are 5 Ferry Boats all painted in iconic yellow and blue colours.

Margaret was built in 1952 and acquired in 1977 she has capacity for 28 passengers.  She has a wooden hulled open launch and was 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.

Independence was built in 1927 and acquired in 1980 she has capacity for 46 passengers.  With a wooden hulled open launch and was previously used on the Severn and Wye, and on the Erewash Canal.

Emily was built in 1927 and acquired in 1992 she has capacity for 48 passengers.  With a wooden hulled enclosed launch. Built in Bideford and was previously used at Scarborough and in Gloucester Docks.

Bristol Ferry Boats Bury Hill Farm

Matilda was built and acquired in 1997 and has a capacity for 50 passengers.  With a 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 Boats.

Brigantia was built and acquired in 2006 and has a capacity for 50 passengers.  With a Steel hulled enclosed launch. Purpose built for Bristol Ferry and based on the design for Matilda but equipped with a retractable wheelhouse and a wheelchair lift.

Both 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.  Margret is the original yellow and blue ferry boat and is a true west country survivor.

Visit their Website for more information or check out their Timetable for Ferry’s.

Independent Reviews:-

Having had a less than successful trip to We the Curious, we saw the yellow boat arrive and jumped on board. The full tour takes you from the City Centre to Hotwells and back, and then goes off in the other direction to Temple Meads and back. You can choose the full 80 minute tour, a 40 minute (half tour) or simply use the craft as a taxi or bus in the harbour area.
We chose the 40 minute trip to Hotwells and back and saw Bristol from a viewpoint I had never experienced before. You travel past The Matthew and The Great Britain, have a good view of the cathedral, the harbour-side industries and the old pubs, with a great view of the multi-coloured buildings of Hotwells.
A very friendly crewman was there to help people on and off and call out the stops and sell the tickets.
We will definitely go back and do the full tour (ticket lasts a day and lets you hop on and off) when the weather is a bit warmer. Great fun and great value.

Beese’s Riverside Bar and Tea Rooms
This is a great little quirky place next to the river. If you are used to eating in chain establishments it may not be for you as it is quite ‘characterful’. We only had a cream tea but the Sunday lunches that people were tucking in to looked good too. The walk along the river and ferry across added to the charm.

More things to do in Bristol, near the harbourside.

Bristol Harbour Festival
Bristol Harbour Festival
Gromit Unleashed 2018 Bristol
Gromit Unleashed

 

 

 

 

 

St Nicholas Indoor Market Bristol
Indoor Market
Bristol Balloon Fiesta Bury Hill Farm
Balloon Fiesta

 

 

 

 

 

21 things to do in Bristol Guide

Things to do Bristol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy the content – contact me for further information or visit our Website www.buryhillfarmbristol.com

 

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