Tag: Brunel

2246. Upfest 2018 (148)

Inkie is no stranger to Upfest, nor indeed to the streets of Bristol, and this piece sitting above a burner he turned out in 2017 is a festival classic, and has a strong connection with the piece he did for Upfest 2016 also featuring Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, May 2018
Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, May 2018

This piece combines the tools of the trade both for Inkie and for the draftsman and engineer, both local heros in their own field.

Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, May 2018
Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, May 2018

I think that Inkie does a great job for Upfest every year, and isn’t at all shy abut shouting out the Upfest brand at every opportunity.

Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, May 2018
Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, May 2018

From recollection, I think that Inkie didn’t quite manage to finish this wall during the festival, and I had to return some days later to get some pictures of the completed work. Well worth the wait though.

Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Inkie, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Thursday doors

Door 38

Cabot doors 002 29 June 2018

This week I thought I’d take you on a little tour to one of the very special places in Bristol, Cabot Tower on Brandon Hill. The Thursday door is a bit of an excuse really to share something that lies behind the door, so door specialists had better lower their expectations. To all those who are keen to know who discovered the coast of North America in 1497, read on…

Cabot doors 025 29 June 2018

Cabot Tower was built in 1897/98 to commemorate the fourth centenary of John Cabot’s (Giovanni Caboto) discovery of the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England. John Cabot set out from Bristol on the 2 May 1497 on The Matthew with 18 crew members and made landfall in Newfoundland on 24 June that same yesy. What a voyage that must have been on this tiny ship.

Cabot doors 003 29 June 2018

There are several plaques on the outside of the tower that offer some historuical context.

Cabot doors 005 29 June 2018

This is the foundation stone.

Cabot doors 006 29 June 2018

Ok, so here are some doors… this is the rather underwhelming door immediately inside the tower – I expect it was once the kiosk, but now the tower is un-manned and permanently open to the public. The steep spiral staircase starts to the left.

Cabot doors 008 29 June 2018

Another door, this one without glass, opens out at the first stage with three balconies looking out to the South, West and East.

Cabot doors 010 29 June 2018

The reason for climbing the stairs is to take in the breathtaking views of Bristol. This is looking south and the building with the green roof immediately after the park is where I work.

Cabot doors 011 29 June 2018

Zooming in a little to the South West you can see I. K. Brunel’s SS Great Britain in its permanent dry dock. The little cottage just at the stern of the ship is the building that Brunel worked from.

Cabot doors 014 29 June 2018

Another of Brunel’s extraordinary landmarks, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, can be seen to the West and spans across the Avon Gorge, through which Cabot would have sailed all those centuries ago.

Cabot doors 020 29 June 2018

Serendipitously, the modern replica of Cabot’s Matthew was motoring around the floating Harbour, just as I reached the top of the tower. It is a very small boat to be crossing the Atlantic in.

Cabot doors 021 29 June 2018

Then to the door back down…

Cabot doors 023 29 June 2018

And the slightly tatty and scary stairwell.

 

by Scooj

More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Thursday doors

Door(s) 35

For the second week running I am stretching slightly the definition of doors, but in my view these do qualify.

Bristol has been a significant port in the development of European and world trade through the centuries and brought great wealth to the nation. As shipping traffic increased there were significant challanges to be faced, the most important of which was navigation and berthing in a port with the second largest tidal range in the world. At Avonmouth in the Severn Estuary the tidal range is 14m and in Bristol itself it is 12m.

This meant that the larger vessels navigating the river Avon would have to wait for spring tides, causing congestion. Additionally, any vessels in the harbour would be left high and dry every day, some would tilt and some would get stuck. What I’m trying to say is that although a significant trading centre, Bristol was not an easy place to sail to.

The solution was to dam off the city stretch of water, creating a ‘floating’ harbour and to divert the course of the tidal river around the city in what is called the New Cut. This all happened in the early 19th century and at the time was the largest civil engineering project of its type anywhere in the world. The impoundment allowed ships to tie up alongside the docks and keys without the hassle of rising or falling tides. Entry into the harbour was via one of two locks in what is known as the Cumberland Basin.

The doors (lock gates) are huge and very impressive, and although they don’t see much use these days (the port closed as a commercial venture in 1975) they are still operational.

So here are the doors:

Cumberland Basin upper lock gate, Bristol
Cumberland Basin upper lock gate, Bristol
Cumberland Basin lower lock gate, Bristol
Cumberland Basin lower lock gate, Bristol

The Beady eyed among you will notice Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge spanning the Avon Gorge

Colliter's Brook inlet into the New Cut, Bristol
Colliter’s Brook inlet into the New Cut, Bristol

More doors, this time managing the flow of one of Bristol’s brooks into the New Cut.

Bristol's floating harbour and SS Great Britain
Bristol’s floating harbour and SS Great Britain

This is one part of the extensive (28.3 hectares) floating harbour which is now a major leisure attraction and waterside housing asset in Bristol. Another of Brunel’s astounding achievements, the SS Great Britain permanently rests here.

Maybe back to some rather more conventional doors next week.

by Scooj

More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Clifton suspension bridge

 

Spanning two high cliffs

suspended in time and space

Brunel’s finest bridge.

 

by Scooj

SS. Great Britain

 

Bristol’s Isembard

opened up the gateway to

trading with the world.

 

by Scooj

Boat

 

In the shadow of

Brunel’s finest, but worthy

of such company.

 

by Scooj