Andrew_Kerr

UK - 12-Dec-24 -

From 1845 to 1853, the SS Great Britain was the largest passenger ship in the world, it was designed by the extraordinary engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it was the first ship to be made of iron and incorporate a screw propeller and lastly, she was the first iron ship to cross the Atlantic which she did in 14 days. In short, this ship revolutionized trans-Atlantic travel and would be deserving of a WHS Listing to commemorate this achievement.

Almost as remarkable as the ship itself is the story of how she was brought back from the Falkland Islands in 1970 having been scuttled in 1937 and abandoned for 33 years having served the intervening time there since 1884 as a warehouse.

The SS Great Britain's saviour was the millionaire property developer and philanthropist, Sir Jack Hayward, who financed the ship's recovery and restoration and the finished result we see today in Bristol gives a wonderful insight into the golden years of passenger travel and migration from Europe to the New World.

Occasionally, I think UNESCO let one slip away when a listing was declined and I think the SS Great Britain is one of those "one's that got away". Nevertheless, it remains a site worth visiting in a vibrant city that has a cathedral, one of the most impressive parish churches in the whole of the UK and the historic docks and Clifton suspension bridge. The city may not have a UNESCO listing but it's a lot more interesting than some places that do.

Jakob Frenzel

Germany - 08-Jun-18 -

March 2018 - After Bath, we arrived Bristol. Before visiting the alternative part and searching for Banksy Graffitis, we walked along the harbour. On e of the noumerous ships there is SS Britain. However it is not seen from the water. Bristol itslef has no potential WHS, this ship certainly neither.