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Underfall Yard, Bristol

  • Client:
    Underfall Yard Trust
  • Architect:
    Alec French Architects
  • Value:
    £3m
  • Our Role:

    M&E, Sustainability, Building Physics, Assisting with HLF Application


Underfall Yard is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in Bristol’s historic docks which includes Grade II* listed workshops and warehouses and the original Brunel sluice mechanism which controls the water level in the docks.

This £3m project was partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and included the restoration of the site and a new visitor centre. Some of the existing buildings were upgraded to provide additional workshop and office space to provide on-going rental income and to bring them back into commercial use. A new visitor centre, converted from a redundant boiler house, includes working historic machinery and an interpretative display to show the history of the docks.

We helped produce the successful HLF Round 2 funding application and continued our input through the detailed design period and during construction. The Trust also takes a keen interest in Bristol Docks as a whole and in maintaining Bristol’s maritime heritage. In partnership with Bristol City Council, the Trust is planning a major expansion of its activities by taking over other redundant buildings in the yard from the Council.

Awards: Bristol Civic Society 2017 Design Award.