The Matthew: Your Ideal Filming and Photoshoot Location
The Matthew is available for hire for film and television work, and is a fantastic location for your photo shoot. The ship is also available to take part in maritime and arts festivals in the UK and beyond.
Our captain and crew are highly experienced in their knowledge of Bristol Harbour and the surrounding area and can work creatively with you to ensure setup and filming run smoothly. They’ve also been known to get involved as extras for some of the productions filmed on board!
Since the requirements for work of this nature are highly individual and no two jobs are the same, please contact The Matthew office to discuss the details of your project and get a quote for hiring the ship.
The Matthew is a popular location choice for film and television productions – there simply isn’t another ship like it in the UK!
Film and TV work
The Matthew has featured in a number of film and television productions.
The ship has starred in both series of Disney's Galavant, was hired for location work on the World War II film Another Mother’s Son, is featured in the Netflix film The King, and in Exhibition on Screen’s 2025 film, Caravaggio. The Matthew was also chartered for the UK promotion of The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader.
The Matthew has also featured in a number of TV productions, including Flog It!, Boats That Built Britain, The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs That Built Britain, and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip for the BBC, Channel 4’s Great Canal Journeys with Timothy West and Prunella Scales, and Don’t Tell The Bride, and the Channel 5 documentary The Lost Ship.
We’ve even been used as a music video location for A Doubtful Sound!
A Doubtful Sound – Take It Away
Credits
Shot, produced, edited and directed by Lee Pretious
Slow-motion camera by Tim Price
PA and backline supplied by Firebird Studios
Band photography by Ian Skriczka
About The Matthew of Bristol
The Matthew of Bristol is a modern reconstruction of the original Matthew, a 15th-century caravel that John Cabot sailed to Newfoundland in 1497.
Located in the heart of central Bristol in the city's historic Floating Harbour for much of the year, The Matthew is moored at Princes Wharf, just along from the historic cranes and the M Shed.
Built between 1994–1996 on Redcliffe Quay in central Bristol for the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s remarkable voyage of exploration, the modern Matthew followed in Cabot's wake, sailing across the Atlantic to Canada in 1997.
The ship was designed by Colin Mudie, a specialist ship designer and naval architect who led a team of twelve local shipwrights. Amongst his many other achievements during his career, Colin also managed the restoration of the Tudor warship, Mary Rose.
In Cabot’s day, shipwrights didn’t produce plans to build their ships as they do today, so the reconstruction was based on archaeological evidence of ships and shipbuilding at the time, alongside contemporary illustrations and documented descriptions of The Matthew.
As a replica of a medieval caravel, The Matthew is rigged as a three-masted sailing vessel with square sails on the sprit, foremast and mainmast, and a lateen sail on the mizzenmast. It is also possible to rig modern fore-and-aft sails to aid upwind performance.
The ship is a fully decked vessel with a main weather deck, a forecastle deck and a poop deck over the after section of the ship.
A large amount of rope work is spread across various areas of the deck and is made off on pin rails.
Below decks, the ship is divided into three sections:
The forepeak, which contains the bosun’s stores and equipment
The main accommodation saloon, which includes the main propulsion engine, and
The galley, which contains modern catering equipment and a small, seated dining area.
The ship’s modern equipment is powered by the main engine and a variety of battery banks. Powered equipment includes electronic navigational aids, bilge and fire pumps, lighting, plumbing, and a modern galley.
13-amp power sources are available to film crews when The Matthew is moored at its Princes Wharf mooring. However, there is no power source when the ship is away from our mooring, so film crews will need their own portable battery packs if filming is required while the ship is sailing.
Contact Sarah to discuss your LOCATION REQUIREMENTS
Photoshoots on Board The MAtthew
The Matthew is a great location for your natural light photoshoot – just take a look at our Instagram page to see some of the beautiful shots taken by both professional and amateur photographers! Bristol’s harbourside and, of course, the ship itself, both offer fantastic backdrops at all times of the day and in all weathers.
The ship was used as a location for one of our favourite photoshoots by Bristol Old Vic costume design graduate Madi Barnicoat. Madi’s graduating project was a costume design for the 18th-century pirate, Anne Bonny – The Matthew was a perfect location for the shoot, which resulted in some amazing photos for Madi’s portfolio.
Costuming by Mad Harry Costumes
Photography by Shill Photography
credits
Mary Reed modelled by Rhiannon Occhini
Anne Bonny modelled by Madi Barnicoat
Maritime Festivals & other large events
The Matthew has appeared at various maritime festivals, both at home and abroad – Brest and Vannes in France and Falmouth, Plymouth, Gloucester and Portsmouth closer to home here in Bristol.
We’ve also starred as the Ancient Mariner’s ship for the 2016 Coleridge in Wales Festival, sailing into Cardiff Bay with a crew of zombies, and then touring along the South Wales coast to Swansea!
If you’d like The Matthew to take part in your maritime festival or other large event, please contact The Matthew office with the details of your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions? Take a look at the FAQs or get in touch with The Matthew office at any time.
The Basics
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Please let us know the date(s) and time(s) you require for filming.
You should be aware that:
1) The Matthew is in use for public and private trips throughout our sailing season (April-Oct), so we may have prior bookings.
2) The ship is closed to the public between November and March for scheduled annual maintenance. However, we may still be able to accommodate your location requirements during this time, so please get in touch with your dates!
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Just the one! The Matthew of Bristol is the only ship of its kind operating in the UK.
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As the requirements for work of this nature are highly individual and no two jobs are the same, please get in touch with Sarah in The Matthew office to discuss the details of your project and to get a quote for hiring the ship.
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Yes, of course! Contact Sarah in The Matthew office to arrange a date and time for your visit.
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As The Matthew is privately owned, you do not need to seek any other permissions to film on board the ship. The Captain will arrange permission with the Harbourmaster if you need to film whilst the ship sails around the harbour.
However, if you need to film from the harbourside, or any other locations managed by Bristol City Council, you will need a filming permit. Contact bristolfilmoffice@bristol.gov.uk for more information.
LOCATION
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You can find us at our permanent mooring in Bristol Harbour – Prince’s Wharf, Bristol, BS1 4RN.
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Yes, it does! We can sail around the harbour between Prince Street Bridge to the east and down to Junction Lock in the west.
Depending on the tide times, we can also leave the confines of the harbour via Cumberland Basin and sail down the Avon.
The ship’s modern equipment is powered by the main engine and a variety of battery banks. Powered equipment includes electronic navigational aids, bilge and fire pumps, lighting, plumbing, and a modern galley.
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Depending on the tide times, we can leave the confines of the harbour via Cumberland Basin and sail down the Avon. This takes us out onto the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth.
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That entirely depends on where you are!
If you want The Matthew to come to you, tell us the specifics in your initial enquiry and we’ll let you know.
HEALTH & SAFETY
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Yes – this will be provided to you on request after we have completed the booking process.
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Yes – this will be provided to you after we have completed the booking process.
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The ship’s captain, Rick Wakeham, is also the safety officer.
INSURANCE & SECURITY
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Yes – a copy of our certificate can be provided to you on request during the booking process.
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Members of The Matthew crew can stay on board overnight. However, this will incur an additional fee of £150 per person.
Alternatively, you are welcome to arrange your own security cover. If you do this, you are required to keep us informed of any personnel you employ to be on board outside of the agreed-upon hours for filming.
GENERAL
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That depends!
Filming onboard, ship static: up to 50 people
Filming onboard, ship sailing within the limits of Bristol Harbour and the Avon river: up to 40 people
Filming onboard offshore: up to 20 people
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The ship is accessed by everyone boarding via a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the main entrance (1000mm gate width) and a 710mm wide gate in the bulwark (the side of the ship).
The ramp is suitable for wheeling your kit aboard, providing it can fit through the gate.
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Meals: We don't organise catering for film crews, but you are welcome to bring your own food aboard, or to get it delivered to the ship.
Our Princes Wharf mooring, is on the doorstep of Wapping Wharf, which has lots of really good cafes and restaurants to choose from.
Within walking distance, there are a few pubs nearby (such as the Nova Scotia, The Cottage, the Pump House ) that all do food. There's also a cafe at Underfall Yard, and numerous places to eat just across the river.
You are welcome to order in food from Deliveroo or Just Eat - they will delvier to the ship.
Tea/coffee: we have a kettle, mugs, a fridge and washing-up facilities. You will need to supply your own tea, coffee, milk and sugar.
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You will be able to pull up on the quayside by our main entrance for loading and unloading.
There are car parks nearby where you can park during the day - the closest one is the Bristol City Council-owned public car park at Museum Street (BS1 6UD) at Wapping Wharf – a couple of minutes walk from the ship.
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13-amp power sources are available when The Matthew is at our Princes Wharf mooring.
However, when we are away from our mooring, there is no power source, so you will need to bring portable battery packs.
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Yes – this can be discussed during the booking process.
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We can arrange access to all areas of the ship, except the Navigation Cabin.
