Swindon & Wiltshire News
Work to rebuild Underfall Yard’s arson-hit shed to start in December
Work to rebuild The Big Shed, the flagship building at Bristol’s historic Underfall Yard, will start in December.
Three adjoining workshops will also be rebuilt. The buildings were destroyed in an arson attack in 2023.
The Underfall Yard Trust will use one of the reinstated workshops to deliver new public engagement and education programmes centred on boatbuilding.
To achieve this the Trust still needs to raise the final £100,000 to ensure the unique nineteenth-century site is suitable for twenty-first century uses.
The building contract has been awarded to Stone BCI, who repaired the Shipwright’s building earlier this year.
The company has extensive experience restoring listed buildings and will work using materials appropriate to the historic context of the site and in-keeping with other buildings at the Yard.
The Trust is delivering the rebuild with a design team consisting of: Alec French Architects, MDA Consulting, Max Fordham and Stantec. The completed work will maintain the original look and scale of the workshops, while bringing them to modern standards required for a working boatyard.
Sarah Murray, director of Underfall Yard Trust, said: “The support from across Bristol and beyond has been overwhelming.
“We couldn’t be at this point without everyone who has stood with us during this challenging time and no amount of “thank yous” will ever be enough.
“We know that the whole of Bristol is right there with us, wanting nothing more than for Underfall Yard to return to a proper, working boatyard.
“We’re really down to the final push now and we know that, together, we can achieve the rebuild of Underfall Yard.”
Stuart Jones from Stone BCI said: “Working with the team on The Shipwrights’ opened our eyes to just how important the Yard is to Bristolians.
“We are honoured to be able to come back and finish the job by rebuilding the rest of the Yard’s workshops that were damaged in the fire. This rebuild will return the Yard to its rightful place at the heart of boatbuilding in Bristol.”
Maurice King, project lead at Alec French Architects, said: “Underfall Yard is one of – if not the – last remaining complete Victorian Docks Maintenance Facilities in the world.
“The architectural significance is recognised through their Scheduled Monument status – giving them the same standing as sites like Stonehenge.
“It is vital that Bristol’s heritage is recognised and protected and we are delighted to have worked with the team to ensure the Yard is returned as we all remember it.”
