Moored in Bristol Harbour, the John King is a historic harbour tug dating back to 1943. Now managed by M Shed, Bristol’s museum of city life on the waterfront, the vessel is open to the public as a listed attraction along the harbour’s edge. She sits in the water close to the museum itself, making her easy to spot for anyone walking the dockside path that runs through this part of the city.
A Working Life on the Water
Built in 1943, the John King was constructed during the Second World War, a period when Bristol’s docks remained an important part of the city’s industrial and commercial activity. As a harbour tug, her working role would have involved manoeuvring larger vessels within the confines of the floating harbour – the kind of practical, unglamorous work that kept the port functioning day to day. Tugs like the John King were essential to dock operations for much of the twentieth century, and surviving examples are now relatively rare.
Visiting the John King Today
The John King is part of the wider offer at M Shed, which occupies the old transit sheds on Princes Wharf in central Bristol. The museum covers the history of Bristol and its people, and the collection of historic vessels moored outside forms a natural extension of that story. Visitors with an interest in maritime history, working boats, or Bristol’s industrial past will find the tug worth a closer look. For further information, the contact email for the Matthew project, which shares curatorial connections with the vessel, is info@matthew.co.uk. The location sits at coordinates 51.4479, -2.5982, placing it firmly within the heart of Bristol Harbour, within easy walking distance of the city centre and well served by local transport links.