Brunel’s SS Great Britain site drops historical name in ‘cool’ rebrand
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- Bristol Dockyards – the dockland site in Bristol formerly promoted as Brunel’s SS Great Britain will be renamed to Bristol Dockyards, dropping the ship and engineer’s names.
- Andrew Edwards – chief executive of the SS Great Britain Trust said the rebrand aims to make the site “cooler” and more inclusive, reflecting Bristol’s reputation as a “cool” city.
- The expanded museum – set to open in July, will shift focus from the engineering triumph of the SS Great Britain to stories of migration, empire, and the diverse people connected to the ship.
- The research programme – will involve community groups uncovering personal histories of passengers, including Indigenous Australians, Jamaican crew members, and those who travelled to India, the Caribbean and the US.
- The SS Great Britain Trust – clarified that “SS” stands for steamship, not “slave ship”, and that the ship was built after the British abolition of the slave trade.
- The cultural campus plan – aims to transform the historic dockyards into a hub for heritage, sustainability and diversity ahead of the ship’s 60th anniversary return to Bristol in 2030.
Why it matters: The rebrand gives Bristol’s multicultural community a platform to see their histories reflected in a major heritage attraction, while traditionalist critics may view the change as “woke”. It also reshapes the museum’s narrative, potentially attracting broader audiences and redefining the city’s cultural branding.
