Plans for the restoration of the swivel bridge need to be developed in parallel with the Western Harbour Master Plan. Conservation is made more urgent by the poor condition of the Bridge which will eventually collapse if not repaired. While the Bridge has benefited from volunteer support for over a decade, in June 2025, plans were substantially advanced by a pledge of significant funding from a private donor. This means that less than half of the needed funds now have to be raised.

The Swivel Bridge will provide an essential crossing over the Entrance Lock, needed now, and even more so within the proposed Western Harbour scheme.  It will form part of the existing walking routes and become an essential link between cycle routes north and south of Cumberland Basin, supporting Bristol Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, One City Plans and Transport strategies.
For wheelchair users, prams and pushchairs, the existing lock gate walkways are completely impractical, whereas the restored Bridge will offer a safe and usable route,
The Bridge will be operable by Harbour staff alongside the existing lock gate controls.
Crucially, the Bridge will also provide a focus for the many heritage assets in the Western Harbour area and act as a catalyst for their conservation and interpretation. This will form an essential part of preserving the heritage appeal of this end of the Harbour as it is developed.

The project leaders are conservation-minded and will retain of as much of the historic structure as possible, repairing rather than renewing. We will minimise risks to the historic fabric by a minimal intrusion approach and restore the Swivel Bridge as a heritage monument to safe working condition.

The restored Bridge will provide a much-needed new crossing with a very low embedded carbon footprint, and at a much lower overall cost than any newly-built crossing.

Routing cyclists across the Bridge will remove the need for a two-lane cycle-path along the flood defenses, significantly lowering their capital cost.
The Bridge crossing will be level, more direct and convenient than alternative routes, and free of vehicular traffic. This will encourage the use of low-carbon forms of transport and reduce both air pollution and noise in the area.

The restoration project has enjoyed wide support from the general public and many different organizations since inception in 2013.  

The Bridge’s owners Bristol City Council has contributed £25,000 through its Communities Partnership Fund, has managed several phases of work,  has granted the Swivel Bridge Group a license to carry out further work, and has provided logistical help.

 

Historic England, and its predecessor Historic England, has funded several phases of work over a number of years, and again recently. They also continue to provide valued advice and technical support.

 

The Avon Industrial Buildings Trust, The Association for Industrial Archaeology, the Vinehill Trust, and the Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society were early funders of the project.

 

Bristol Civic Society,  Hotwells and Cliftonwood Community Association, The Newcomen Society for History and Technology and other amenity and historical groups provide ongoing support, as do five hundred individuals who receive regular newsletters.

Julia Elton is a leading specialist in the history of engineering and technology and has a wide overall knowledge of the subject. She catalogued the Noble Collection, a substantial archive of material in the possession of a descendent of I.K. Brunel, and was instrumental in its acquisition by Bristol University. It is now held at the Brunel Institute. 

Julia Elton played a prominent role in the campaign to save the Thames Tunnel, designed and built by Marc Isambard Brunel on which I.K Brunel received his training as a civil engineer. In recent years she has been working to untangle the complex history of the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Julia Elton is a Past President of the Newcomen Society for the History of Engineering & Technology and a Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset (now retired). 

She has written many entries for the Institution of Civil Engineers Biographical Dictionary, particularly on lighthouse and gas engineers, and has recently achieved a PhD on the history of lighthouse illumination. 

She is a long-term supporter of the project to restore the Swivel Bridge, and writes:
‘I want to express my support for the conservation of Brunel’s Swivel Bridge.  It is a remarkable survival, and of international importance.
The offer of £1 million funding is wonderfully public spirited, and I hope Bristol City Council will also support the project in any way it can.’

English Heritage South West  Ruth Garner, Principal Advisor, Heritage at Risk - South West
‘We are pleased to continue supporting the above initiative, which is set not only to rescue and preserve this elegant structure but also to return it to its rightful place, as part of the much-celebrated Brunel legacy in Bristol.’

 

Institution of Civil Engineers  Trish Johnson Regional Director, ICE South West.
‘The Institution of Civil Engineers South West is happy to support the Brunel Swivel Bridge restoration project. As an organization whose members are civil engineers, it is only fitting that we should promote one of our most famous engineers in this region and one of his many projects.’

 

Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust David Anderson, Bridgemaster. 
'Given that the Swivel Bridge is Brunel's first large wrought iron bridge and, in fact, pre dates the Clifton Suspension Bridge, it is important that every effort is made to maintain and restore this example of engineering. The Swivel Bridge is also Bristol's only abandoned Brunel structure and saving it for future generations would add a great deal to the rich examples of Brunel’s work that Bristol can offer.'

 

SS Great Britain Trust Jenny O’Grady, Senior Projects Manager.
‘I am writing ….to express general support for the Brunel Swivel Bridge project.  The details of this project sound exciting and vital for this important structure.    The project will restore the Bridge, helping to keep this valuable heritage for future generations to enjoy and extending the Brunel and engineering themes in Bristol.'

 

Association for Industrial Archaeology  Keith Falconer OBE FSA, President.
‘I am delighted that the Brunel Swivel Bridge Group, as a CIO with a formidable group of Trustees with the necessary skills and dedication to deliver the restoration of the bridge to a high standard, has already attracted major funding and has a credible plan for raising the budget for its restoration. 
The Association for Industrial Archaeology therefore strongly supports the Bristol Swivel Bridge Group’s efforts to restore such a nationally important structure.'