With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we are aiming to share understanding, knowledge and enjoyment of Underfall Yard with communities far and wide. This is being achieved through projects, such as:

In May 2023, there was a devastating fire at Underfall Yard. The Recovery & Reinstatement Project is now underway, and will come in two key phases:

  • Phase 1 focuses on site cleanup, roof repairs to the Shipwrights building and developing detailed design plans for full reinstatement.
  • Phase 2 involves rebuilding damaged and destroyed structures. This is, of course, subject to planning approval and funding. We are actively working with all partners to get ready for this important phase.

We are doing everything we can to ensure that the yard is restored for the full benefit of our community and look forward to the day operations resume at Underfall Yard.

The Trust is grateful to yard businesses, our neighbours, volunteers and wider community for their ongoing understanding while we carry out these essential works.

Learn more about the Recovery and Reinstatement Project and how to support it…

With support from the Oral History Society, we trained 10 volunteers to interview and record memories of Underfall Yard. The recordings are a treasure trove of memories that we have shared in our visitor centre and through Vimeo. We are keen to hear from anyone with a yard yarn, a fall fable or a muddy memory. Contact Flex Toomey (clv@underfallyard.co.uk) to ensure Underfall Yard is not forgotten.

In 2016, we worked with Bristol City Council to run a pilot adult learning programme. Three adults attended an eight week “Discovering Underfall” programme that taught them to:

  • Measure and record tides
  • Explain how Underfall Yard got its name
  • Describe Underfall Yard businesses and skills
  • Master nautical knots
  • Carpentry skills, used by boatbuilders, to create shelves to take away
In 2015-16, a dedicated team of volunteers spent over 1000 hours scouring collections held in Bristol Records Office, M Shed, National Archives, British Library and many more to uncover fascinating stories about Underfall Yard. The results are proudly on display in our visitor centre and downloadable resources are available on Our Story.
In 2015-16 we worked with 10 amazing students from Orchard School to help us get the Visitor Centre right. They worked diligently to get the text, images and games right. The English as a Second Language department are currently helping us to translate some of our key vocabulary into different languages so that as many people as possible can learn just how wonderful Underfall Yard is.