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 volunteers love to lead children’s groups and really bring to life what it was like on board the ship during Tudor times.

We primarily offer one-hour educational trips to primary school children during our sailing season between April and October, from Tuesday to Friday. However, our trips can be adapted to suit older children too.

All trips are designed to fit in with 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.

However, if you have any specific areas of study that you would like us to cover, then please call us to discuss your ideas.

We want to make sure that you get the very best out of your time with us, so please get in touch with Sarah in the office if you’d like to talk about bringing your class on one of our school trips.

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 children 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 children 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 both The Matthew itself and of Bristol’s maritime history during Tudor times.

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

• Pirates!

Suitable for Early Years and KS1 (EYFS/Reception, Years 1 & 2, ages 3-7).

This is a one-hour session, including a trip around Bristol Harbour, for up to 40 children and adults.

Dressing up is strongly encouraged for this exciting pirate adventure around the historic Harbour! Learn about the infamous Bristol pirate, Blackbeard, and his scary pirate friends!

• 1st Mate

Suitable for KS2 (Years 3-6, ages 7-11).

This is a one-hour session, including a trip around Bristol Harbour, for up to 40 children and adults.

Become part of The Matthew’s crew for a trip around Bristol’s historic Harbour. Learn about life on board in Tudor times, how sailors sailed the ship and how it is done today. How did sailors navigate across unknown and treacherous seas to undiscovered lands? Why did they go? What were they trying to find and exactly where did they end up?

• Deckhand

Suitable for KS1 or KS2 (ages 5-11).

This is a one-hour static session for up to 40 children and adults.

Step aboard for a tour of the ship and learn about Tudor life at sea. How did sailors navigate across unknown and treacherous seas to undiscovered lands? Why did they go? What were they trying to find and exactly where did they end up? This is a fun talk with the Captain and his crew while we stay at our mooring just outside the M Shed.

• Trips For Older Children

If you have a group of older children (aged 11+), we can adapt your session to your requirements. For example, we could look at early exploration and John Cabot. You could also use The Matthew as a space for your own teaching session. Please get in touch and let us know what you need.

Each session caters for groups of up to a maximum of 40 people.

At least 6 supervising adults are required to join a trip, with a maximum total passenger number of 40 (34 students and 6 supervising adults). The teachers and other adults with the group remain responsible for the safety and behaviour of the children throughout the trip.

We can provide some resources to schools before they visit which they may find useful. This includes a quiz about the Matthew and medieval ships and a cutout model of the ship that (older) children can make.

These resources are also available to download directly from our website: https://matthew.co.uk/school-trips

We also provide a copy of our hardcover book, The Matthew of Bristol by Clive Burlton, to each school that attends a trip.

Schools are very welcome to take photos, video and audio recordings, and create their own drawings.

If appropriate, we also encourage schools to share them with us for use on our social media channels and website.

All schools are provided with our School Trips Information Guide during the booking process. This 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 us beforehand if they need to complete an extra risk assessment or take a look around the ship

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!
£250 for a one-hour session for up to 40 people (adults and children).

1st Mate
£250 for a one-hour session for up to 40 people (adults and children).

Deckhand
£250 for a one-hour session for up to 40 people (adults and children).

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

You will be more exposed to the weather when out on the water – it can feel slightly 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!

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

There are several first aid kits onboard and the Captain and crew are fully trained first aiders. Any incidents are recorded in the ship’s Accident Book.

There are toilets below deck which are accessible via a steep ladder. The Matthew doesn’t have lunch facilities but there are areas to eat lunch nearby on the quayside.

We are also next to M Shed, which has toilets and a private lunchroom for hire. Please contact them directly for more information and to book.

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, we do not have full disabled access – the ship is wheelchair accessible, but please be aware that the upper decks and below deck can only be accessed by steep 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 trip, 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.

School trips are available to book during term time between April and October. One-hour sessions are available from Tuesdays to Fridays starting at 10:45am, 11:45am, 12:45pm and 1:45pm.

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!”