Take a trip on The Matthew, Bristol, England

Last updated on 1 July 2026

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I had no idea The Matthew in Bristol was a ship that even existed.

Not until we headed off to spend the day in Bristol. But as we wandered along the banks of the Avon River, we discovered The Matthew, Bristol ship docked in the harbour, surrounded by other houseboats bobbing on the water.

The modern Matthew was built between 1994–1996 on Redcliffe Quay, in preparation for the 1997 voyage to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Cabot’s most famous journey to Newfoundland and back. She is owned by The Matthew of Bristol Trust, a registered charity – all money raised from donations and profits made from public and private trips are used to maintain the ship and her legacy. – Website

As you’ve probably guessed by now, The Matthew that you can see in Bristol is a stunning modern, reconstruction of the original ship, and now gives visitors the opportunity to explore the ship and take a boat tour. As the original boat was not safe for our modern safety laws, some parts of the ship had to be modernised to make sure they complied with our regulations, especially now that she’s a public charter vessel.

According to the website, The Matthew can self-right herself, without the need for the crew, which reminds me of one of those ball vacuum cleaners, but is also super handy.

During our time in Bristol, we didn’t actually take a boat tour, but we did climb on board and take a good look around.

Have you been on The Matthew, Bristol? What did you think?

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