Steamships in Portishead Docks
PS Waverley, picture taken from a postcard circa 1900.
The “Campbell’s Steamers”
Over the last fifty years P. and A. Campbell, PS Waverley and MV Balmoral, under their various ownerships, have kept a difficult presence in varying degrees of regulatory, financial and weather circumstances.
Portishead, from the very beginning, in 1886, was a port of call for Campbell's paddlers, whether for a cruise down channel to lfracombe or a shorter channel dap to Newport and up the River Severn to Sharpness and to to Chepstow.
Captain Joe Ashford
One of Campbell's captains in the early ears was Captain Joe Ashford. Fully qualified after deep-sea service, Joe became invaluable to the firm because, as a Sharpness pilot, he was qualified to take PS Waverley on all their fascinating up-channel excursions.
Joe Ashford was born in Portishead, was schooled at St. Barnabas on West Hill and was from the large family of seamen, tug-boatmen, farmers and fishermen who originated from Nore Farm. If ever a family deserved a Blue Plaque in Portishead history for endeavour and enterprise, it is the Ashfords.
The War Years
The Campbell fleet grew, prospered and gave great service in two World Wars as Navy minesweepers and ferries, rescuing the British army at Dunkirk, without which I would not be here to write this story.
After the Second War the PS Bristol Queen and PS Cardiff Queen, joined the Campbell fleet.
Post War
Campbell's flourished through the 40s and 50s, especially given their new additions the PS Bristol Queen, (1946) built locally at Charles Hill's Bristol Albion dockyard, and PS Cardiff Queen (1947) built by Fairfields on the Clyde.
Then in the 60s and 70s families had cars, went abroad for holidays and used the Severn Bridge to get to Wales. The paddle steamers became uneconomic, went to the scrapyard one by one and left MV Balmoral as the only vessel using Portishead, usually about nine times a season.
The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society
When in 1980 Campbell's finally ceased trading – it was the inspired Chairmanship of Clevedon chartered accountant Clifton Smith-Cox who had kept the firm running for so long – that an unexpected saviour appeared.
The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) decided that their PS Waverley would break new waters by testing the Bristol Channel for business. How amazing that Scottish flair should reinvent a century old tradition! With Clevedon Pier in pieces, Portishead, the only up-channel embarkation point, suddenly became a vital part of the Bristol Channel excursion jigsaw.
Last in Portishead Dock
In 1983 and 1987 PS Waverley actually spent time within Portishead Dock for pre-cruise preparations, the dock being almost closed for commercial purposes at the time. Although a commercial port, the first and last vessels to use it were paddle steamers PS Lynn and PS Waverley .
The inspired decision of the PSPS to reactivate MV Balmoral as a running mate for the paddler, meant that the new ship was able to give a vital incentive for the ports and piers to stay in trim, to make Waverley's trips north viable.
Balmoral Changes Direction
All went well until in 2012 the Waverley organisation decided that the re-engined but unrepresentative Balmoral was of no further use. A two year lay-up in Bristol lent the impetus for a Bristol-based syndicate to put the Balmoral back into service under the White Funnel house-flag.
This brave revival was a success until in 2018. A period of volatile and indifferent weather and a regrettable act of ropemanship in Bristol ruined the season and the company's future.
If MV Balmoral is unable to find suitable finance soon Bristol Channel cruising of any kind will be in very deep trouble and last links for cruising from Portishead will cease after 130 years.
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About the Author
My name is Nigel Coombes. I am a long-time resident of Portishead and am very proud to have played a significant part in the last flourish of paddle steamers and excursion steamships visiting the Bristol Channel.