Anglo Welsh recommends – Bristol Harbour Festival
The ever-friendly staff at Anglo Welsh’s head office in Bristol are always keen to sing the praises of their vibrant home city, not least when summer comes around and it’s time for the annual Bristol Harbour Festival, often described by the locals as the mother of all maritime festivals.
This year’s event takes place from Friday July 21st to Sunday July 23rd and will once again celebrate Bristol’s proud maritime heritage as the city’s harbour and waterside fill with two miles of boats, food markets, circus acts, live music and performers.
Launching the Bristol Harbour Festival weekend, the 20-piece Outlook Orchestra will perform a 100-minute live mix celebrating some of the most popular dance tracks from all around the world, coupled with a live set by chart-topping UK artist Roots Manuva.
The weekend’s land-based events are free to all festival visitors while tickets are available granting exclusive access to the spectacular array of boats displayed on the pontoons. Also part of this year’s three-day event is the Western Boat Show, an exciting new consumer show that will feature canal boats, sailing boats, power boats, yachts, dinghies and even fishing boats, not to mention a wide range of marine products and services.
An idyllic starting point for narrowboats heading in the direction of Bristol Harbour* for the July festival is provided by Anglo Welsh’s base at Sydney Wharf in the Word Heritage City of Bath, though we should add that the journey itself is not for the faint-hearted!
Bristol is 7 hours cruising away from our base in the heart of Bath, but the route is only recommended for experienced narrowboat hirers due to the rise and fall in the tide on the River Avon – the highest in the world, falling and rising as much as 14 metres per day.
If you do decide to head along the River Avon from Bath towards Bristol, once there you could also take in Brunel’s masterpiece the SS Great Britain, explore Bristol Zoo, or visit the new Blue Reef Aquarium at the harbour side.
If like the Anglo Welsh team you are a fan of boats, arts, circus, music, nautical capers, and good food and drink by the waterside, make sure you pencil the Bristol Harbour Festival into your diary as an unmissable event this summer.
To book a canal holiday from Anglo Welsh’s base at Sydney Wharf in Bath or from any of our 11 prime waterway locations, please call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
*Access to Bristol is restricted and must be granted by the lock keeper. There is a £35 per night mooring fee for boaters wishing to moor in the Harbour. During the festival, only boats that have pre-booked will be granted access into the Harbour. Boaters can cruise towards Bristol from Bath and moor up approximately 2 hours away, before accessing the festival via road.
