ss Great Britain
Bristol Harbourside, February 2022
Each year nearly 200,000 people walk through ornate iron gates and step in to the dockside cradling Brunel's ss Great Britain. Viewed from across the water, proudly resting in the original dry dock, it gives every impression of a ship waiting to set sail once more. The giant iron hulled ship is intrinsically linked to Bristol and serves as a focal point for Isambard Kingdom Brunel - the trust also runs the Brunel Institute and Being Brunel museum either side of the ship.
The trust relies heavily on a team of highly knowledgeable volunteers who guide visitors, physically and narratively, around the site. Behind the scenes more volunteers are in the Brunel Institute, busily archiving and documenting many of the 80,000 items held in the Archive Vault. During the first lockdown the entire site was closed and even after restrictions were lifted many areas, such as the interior of the ship, couldn't reopen safely.