Name ss Great Britain

What is the Vessel’s ability to demonstrate history in her physical fabric?

Launched in 1843, ss GREAT BRITAIN is of outstanding international significance in view of the technological advances expressed in her structure, machinery and fittings. The hull, which remains substantially complete from the time of her construction in Bristol, is of wrought iron riveted plates on wrought iron frames, and at the time  was the largest iron vessel ever built, the largest ship in the world, the first large screw-propelled ship, and the first trans-continental vessel to be designed to operate to a timetable. In addition to the hull, the tubular riveted iron main yard from the original configuration also survives and is displayed alongside in the ship’s museum. The masts and spars are reconstructions of the original transatlantic  fore and aft configuration with only 2 square sails on the foremast. This rig was designed to assist passage making by allowing the ship to sail close-hauled into the westerly winds. Brunel’s design incorporated the after masts being hinged at deck level, and these form part of the faithful extreme reconstruction of the 6 masted sail plan. The ship is displayed with a replica of Brunel’s first 6-bladed propeller in place. The later lifting propeller gear from her sailing period  is on display in the associated museum.

The interior of the ship has been reconstructed and replicated to the highest research standards using primary sources to interpret different parts of the ship at particular times in the vessel’s long life. The promenade deck, adjacent cabins, and dining saloon have been replicated to represent what was there in 1843. The original steam engine and chain drive have been replicated and, along with the ship’s galley, are from that period too. Portside accommodation is presented at the time of the Crimean War, when ss GREAT BRITAIN acted as a troop ship, whilst the forward accommodation is a reconstruction of the steerage accommodation from her time as an emigrant ship, based on contemporary plans, drawings, accounts and diaries. A forward section of the hull incorporates a display of the ship carrying horse during the Crimean War, whilst the very fore-most area of the hull has been left unreconstructed to show the original form of the frames and hull plating.

The conservation and reconstruction of ss GREAT BRITAIN has been predicated on 2 key principles: accuracy, and the capacity to accommodate and encourage activities involving visitors of all ages and backgrounds within the ship, on deck, and where possible engagement with the ship’s rig.

What are the vessel’s associational links for which there is no physical evidence?

ss GREAT BRITAIN's associational links are very wide-ranging. First and foremost she is the brain-child of IK Brunel, whose impact on engineering and travel is of international significance. The ship was originally conceived as the logical extension of the Great Western Railway in which Brunel was a prime mover. After her stranding and recovery from Dumdrum Bay (Ireland) the ship was bought by Gibbs Bright & Co, whose principal, William Gibbs, was instrumental in financing and backing the building of the Great Western Railway, and who built the remarkable Tyntesfield House near Bristol, with its own private rail stop on the Great Western line. William Gibbs was also present at the opening of the Clifton Suspension in 1864, five years after Brunel’s death.

Contemporary accounts, paintings, illustrations and photographs record the ship’s associations with the Crimean War, her role as an emigrant ship carrying some 25,000 people to Australia, the carrying of special groups such as the first English Cricket Eleven, and her role as a depot ship in the First World War.

How does the vessel’s shape and form combine and contribute to her function?

Specifically built to steam across the Atlantic, ss GREAT BRITAIN had to be of sufficient size and proportion to carry the necessary fuel to power the steam engine. This demanded the huge hull which Brunel designed in order to house engines, bunkers, supplies and the number of passengers needed to make the ship economically successful. All of this can be seen in the ship today. The specific sailing requirements for west-bound vessels are reflected in the fore and aft rig (see above). Internally the levels of accommodation reflect social differences, the demands placed on the ship as her function shifted over time, and changes in the legislation applied to passenger vessels. The reconstructed galley and steerage larder  are of particular interest as reflections of different passenger status and expectations.

The ship has been very carefully and sympathetically adapted to meet modern museum standards of visitor access.

In view of her outstanding significance ss GGREAT BRITAIN is listed in the National Historic Fleet of the National Register of Historic Vessels.