School Trips – Winter 2024/2025
This winter we are delighted to offer schools the opportunity to book a static session for your class.
The ship
The Matthew of Bristol is a replica 15th-century caravel ship built right here in Bristol in the mid-1990s to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s 1497 voyage of exploration. This remarkable voyage saw Cabot and his crew make landfall in what would become known as the Americas.
The modern Matthew is unique as the only (as far as we know!) working medieval replica ship of its kind in the world and makes for an exciting and informative location for a school trip, bringing Tudor Bristol to life for visitors of all ages.
School trips on The Matthew
During our April–October sailing season, you can book a school trip which includes sailing around Bristol's historic Harbour, plus a talk by our volunteer crew. We’re currently taking provisional bookings for 2025 – contact the office for all enquiries.
Winter static sessions: special offer!
This winter, we're giving schools a £25 discount on all one-hour static sessions taking place between November 2024 and March 2025. These sessions will be held entirely at our Princes Wharf mooring (please note: a trip around the harbour is not included with these sessions). Static sessions are suitable for all age groups and can accommodate up to 50 children and adults per session.
We are currently taking bookings for discounted static sessions right up to the end of March 2025 and we'd love to welcome you aboard!
Booking information
School trips which include a harbour boat trip and a talk are available during term time between April and October. One-hour sessions are £260 for up to 40 passengers.
Static school sessions include a tour of the ship and a talk and are available during term time throughout the year. One-hour sessions are £200 for up to 50 passengers.
SPECIAL OFFER! £25 discount on all static school sessions taking place between November 2024–March 2025. A one-hour winter session is £175 and includes a tour of the ship and a talk for up to 50 passengers.
All sessions require at least 1 supervising adult for every 5-6 students.
One-hour sessions are available to book from Tuesday to Friday starting at 10:45am, 11:45am, 12:45pm and 1:45pm.
Advance bookings only.
Our school sessions are suitable for Key Stages 1 and 2 – they link to the Tudor and Explorer themes in the national curriculum, as well as our local Bristol history. So whether you are focusing on John Cabot, the Tudors, pirates, the history of navigation and transatlantic voyages, or on local maritime history, we have something suitable for everyone!
And if our trips don't exactly match your needs, we can adapt your session to work with your particular requirements.
Our volunteer guides and crew are very knowledgeable and have years of experience leading school tours. We cater for all – from local and regional schools to groups with special needs to international schools.
Free resources!
You'll find lots of resources and activities available on our website – these are useful before or after your trip, or simply for general use in the classroom.
To make it easier for you to find what you need, we've collated a Resources & Activities page, featuring:
A free visitor information guide and free factsheets about the different areas and features of the ship, and about life on board for the crew in 1497 and on the 1997 anniversary voyage to Canada, for you to download and keep.
The Matthew 525 Project – our cross-curricular learning resource exploring the history and stories associated with both the modern and original Matthew ships and Cabot’s voyage of exploration.
Photos of the ship to help you visualize your trip if you've not visited us before!
Links to information about the history of The Matthew and about John Cabot.
Free downloadable worksheets to use before and after your trip- answer sheets for both worksheets are also available to download:
Spot The Hazards – this illustration is designed to be used before your trip to help the children understand how to behave safely and what could be dangerous whilst they are on board The Matthew.
The Matthew Quiz about the ship and its history – if you’ve joined us on one of our school trips or looked through our factsheets, you should have no problem answering the questions!
Creative activities for children, such as building a model ship, colouring sheets and learning sea shanties.
A link to our YouTube channel for films about The Matthew.
If you'd like to find out more about our school trips or want to book a session for your class, please complete our online School Trip Enquiry Form or contact Sarah at The Matthew office.
