The Matthew of Bristol

The Matthew of Bristol is a replica of the Tudor caravel that John Cabot sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497. The ship is available for educational trips, catering for children of all ages. Our enthusiastic volunteers bring to life what life would have been like on board the ship during Tudor times.

We offer one-hour educational trips for students in Reception to Year 6. However, our trips can also be adapted to suit older students from Year 7 up to Year 11.

School trips that include a trip around Bristol’s historic Floating Harbour are available between April and October from Tuesday to Friday during term time.

Static school sessions are available between February and December from Tuesday to Friday during term time. The ship will not leave its mooring for this one-hour session.

Our trips are designed to complement the national history curriculum. For KS1, the trip focuses on local history and pirates, including the famous Bristol pirate Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard. For KS2, pupils learn more about John Cabot, the discovery of Newfoundland, and life on board a Tudor ship.

If you have specific areas of study that you would like us to cover, please call Sarah at The Matthew office to discuss your ideas – we want to ensure that you get the most out of your time with us!

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As one of Bristol’s oldest ‘living heritage’ stories, The Matthew is a great choice for school trips. The ship offers a unique space to learn more about Bristol’s maritime history whilst soaking in the sights of present-day Bristol.

The Matthew of Bristol offers a truly unique educational experience that you will not find anywhere else. The educational sessions are run on board the ship itself, which is a faithful replica of a Tudor caravel ship – as far as we know, she is the only one of her kind!

Students and their supervising adults are welcome to explore the ship and will also get to experience the ship in action as we cruise around Bristol Harbour during the session. The students get a real kick out of sailing on a ‘pirate’ ship and love to have a go on the ship’s bell!

Our volunteer guides and crew are exceptionally knowledgeable and take real delight in engaging students with the history of The Matthew and what life would have been like for a medieval sailor. Many of the crew have been with us for a number of years and are very well-versed in both the past and present history of The Matthew itself and of Bristol’s maritime history during Tudor times.

Choose one of our three standard trips, aimed at various Key Stage groups from Reception up to Year 6:

1) PIRATES!

This one-hour session is aimed at Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and includes a trip around Bristol Harbour for up to 40 children and adults, plus a talk by our knowledgeable guides.

We’ll take you back to the time of pirates and Bristol in the 18th century.

Find out about the infamous Bristol pirates Blackbeard (Edward Teach), Ann Bonney and Woods Rogers – how they lived their lives, the famous Bristol haunts they frequented, what they kept in their pirate’s chests, and more.

Optional: Come dressed for the occasion in your best pirate gear!

2) 1ST MATE

This one-hour session is aimed at Years 3 to 6 and includes a trip around Bristol Harbour for up to 40 children and adults, plus a talk by our knowledgeable guides.

Your group will learn about life on board a ship in Tudor times, how sailors sailed then, and how they do it today.

How did the Tudor sailors navigate across unknown and treacherous seas to unknown lands? Why did they go? What were they trying to find and where did they end up?

The group will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the session.

3) DECKHAND

This one-hour static session at our Princes Wharf mooring is suitable for all ages and can accommodate up to 50 children and adults per session. The session includes a talk by our knowledgeable guides.

Step aboard for a tour of the ship and learn about Tudor life at sea. Our volunteer crew is available to answer questions about The Matthew and will give a talk on the ship’s history while we stay at our mooring just outside the M Shed.

This session can be tailored to your requirements – just let us know your topic!

TRIPS FOR OLDER STUDENTS

If you have a group of older students (Years 7-11), we can adapt your session to your requirements. For example, we could look at early exploration and John Cabot, or you can use The Matthew as a space for your own teaching session.

Please get in touch and let us know what you need.

The Matthew office is happy to complete your Provider Statement if required.

For sessions including a boat trip:

The maximum number of passengers per session is 40, with a maximum ratio of 34 students and 6 supervising adults.

For static sessions (the ship will remain moored):

The maximum number of passengers is 50, with a maximum ratio of 42 students and 8 supervising adults.

All sessions:

For health and safety, we require at least one supervising adult to be present for every 5-6 students on all school trips on The Matthew. The teachers and other adults with the group remain responsible for the safety and behaviour of their students at all times during the session.

Parents are welcome to join the trip as supervising adults but must be made aware by the lead teacher that they are responsible for up to five other students as well as their own child and they must supervise all of them for the full duration of your time on the ship.

An operational ship can be a dangerous place whether moving or static, so it’s essential that everyone on board follows the safety information provided by the crew.

During the booking process, all schools will receive a copy of our School Trip Information Guide. The guide includes:

• Essential health and safety information
• Useful information about our trips
• Links to our online resources and free downloadable factsheets, available on The Matthew website at https://matthew.co.uk/resources
• Printable quizzes for the children to get involved with before and after their trip.

School groups are authorized to take photos of their session – there are no restrictions on photography intended for internal use by the school. However, we kindly request that The Matthew has permission to use any photos intended to be used by the school on their social media or other public places.

Please enquire with The Matthew office if you would like to film or make audio recordings during your session.

During the booking process, all schools are provided with our School Trips Information Guide. This guide contains essential health and safety information, plus other useful information about the trip for teachers.

The crew will give a safety talk before the start of every trip.

Teachers/group leaders are very welcome to visit the ship ahead of their trip if they need to complete their own risk assessment or look around the ship. Please contact The Matthew office to arrange a suitable time.

In the first instance, please contact the office for school visit enquiries on 0117 927 6868 or info@matthew.co.uk and ask for Sarah.

The Matthew of Bristol Trust has a trustee on the board who acts as education lead on their behalf – Dr Evan Jones from the University of Bristol. An Associate Professor in Economic History in the Department of History (Historical Studies) and Early Modern Studies at the University of Bristol, Dr Jones also leads the Cabot Project with his colleague and research partner, Margaret Condon.

Pirates! and 1st Mate: £260 per session

• Maximum 40 people per session (34 students and 6 adults).
• Sessions are one hour in duration.
• Session includes a trip around Bristol Harbour.
• Available during term time between April and October.

Deckhand: £200 per session

• Maximum 50 people per session (42 students and 8 adults)
• Sessions are one hour in duration.
• The Matthew will remain moored for the entirety of this session.
• Available during term time between February and December.

The Matthew is an open, uncovered boat. There is limited shelter on board, so please dress appropriately for the weather.

You will be more exposed to the weather when out on the water – it can feel colder than it does on the quayside (especially if it’s windy), and more exposed to the sun if it’s fine. We recommend you consider bringing an extra layer, waterproofs and sun protection to cover all eventualities!

Pirate/sailor outfits are not provided, but are encouraged if appropriate!

There are several first aid kits on board, and the Captain and crew are fully trained first aiders. Any incidents will be recorded in the ship’s Accident Book.

There is a (non-accessible) toilet below deck – this can be made available for the children to use in an emergency. However, the crew politely requests that you use the public facilities elsewhere before boarding the ship.

The Matthew doesn’t have lunch facilities, but there are areas to eat lunch nearby on the quayside.

(The Matthew is located next to M Shed, which has toilets and a private lunchroom for hire. Please contact M Shed directly for more information and to book their facilities.)

Your group will board the ship via our main entrance gate which leads to a slightly inclined boardwalk to the ship entrance – this is all enclosed with fencing. As The Matthew is an accurate replica of a Tudor sailing ship, it does not have full disabled access – the main deck of the ship is wheelchair accessible, but please be aware that the upper decks and below deck can only be accessed by steep steps/ladders.

If you have students in your group who are sensitive to their environment, please be aware that school trips are held entirely outdoors and the ship is open-air. There may be loud noises from the ship, which are mainly due to the engine starting and running throughout the trip. You may also be able to smell the diesel when the engine starts. There will also be harbour-related noises and smells as the ship sails around Bristol Harbour.

During the trip, students are free to explore the main and upper decks under the direct supervision of the adults with your group. For the talk section of the session, the ship will be moored and the students will be able to sit on the raised area on the main deck.

If you have students with disabilities or special educational needs in your group, we recommend a visit to the ship beforehand, if possible, so you can check whether the trip will be suitable for your student’s needs.

Wheelchair access: The Matthew is wheelchair-accessible for boarding – this is via a ramp at the main entrance (1000mm gate width) and a 710mm wide gate in the bulwark (the side of the ship).

Accessible toilets: The Matthew is built in a traditional way with steep steps between decks, so it does not have accessible toilet facilities – the onboard toilet is below the main deck down a set of steep steps. If there are people in your group with restricted mobility, please use the public facilities elsewhere before boarding the ship. The nearest accessible public toilets are located in M Shed

• School sessions that include a harbour boat trip are available during term time between April and October.
• Static school sessions are available during term time between February and December.
• Sessions are available from Tuesdays to Fridays during term time, starting at 10:45am, 11:45am, 12:45pm and 1:45pm. Advance bookings only.

Stoke Bishop C of E School:

“Yesterday we brought our Year 3 class to The Matthew for a school trip – their first in 18 months. The children were so excited and had the most wonderful day. I just wanted to say thank you for having us. The trip was brilliant and will inspire a great piece of writing and will be talked about by the children for a long time! Many thanks.”

Special Friends Club, Bristol:

“I am sure you can imagine for many families, taking a child with special needs is a daunting prospect. Your staff were amazing, totally understanding and so calm. Every member of staff went the extra mile to make this a truly memorable experience. A huge thank you from us to all and every one of you. As I said, an amazing day and one of the best days out we have been on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Westbury Park Primary School:

“I’d like to thank you and your staff for a brilliant day yesterday with our Year 1 children. I thought your crew engaged really well with our pupils, enthusing them about life on board and giving them some really good information about pirates. They were also very patient with them – as you can imagine, it was pretty exciting! One of my children had never been on board a ship before!”