Royal Portbury Dock
Encyclopedia
The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol
, in England
. It is situated near the village of Portbury
on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon
, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks
are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth
. The deepwater dock was constructed between 1972 and 1977, and is now a major port for the import of motor vehicles into the UK
. The M5 motorway
runs nearby, and the huge car storage compounds around the dock are visible from the Avonmouth Bridge
. A waste industrial area west of the port is being developed as the Portbury Ashlands
Nature Reserve.
The Royal Portbury Dock has the largest entrance lock into any UK port, accommodating vessels up to 41 m (135 ft) beam, 290 m (951 ft) length and 14.5 m (48 ft) draft.
, and have done since 1991 when they purchased a 150 year lease from Bristol City Council. Between 2000 and 2002 the Portishead Railway
was repaired and extended to the dock at a cost of £21 million.
. Royal Portbury Dock can accommodate up to six RoRo vessels simultaneously.
Aviation fuel tankers up to 120,000 dwt
can discharge at the Bristol Aviation Fuel Terminal which opened in 2003, and feeds directly into the UK's pipeline and storage network.
Coal and other bulk cargoes can be discharged with two continuous ship unloaders and two gantry grab cranes, allowing for 5,000 tonne per hour throughput.
Containers and Forest Products are also handled at the dock.
Port of Bristol
The Port of Bristol comprises the commercial, and former commercial, docks situated in and near the city of Bristol in England. The Port of Bristol Authority was the commercial title of the Bristol City, Avonmouth, Portishead and Royal Portbury Docks when they were operated by Bristol City Council,...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated near the village of Portbury
Portbury
Portbury is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset.The parish includes the hamlet of Sheepway which is situated on the moorland at the northern edge of the Gordano valley, between the Gordano services on the M5 motorway and Portishead, near...
on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
. The deepwater dock was constructed between 1972 and 1977, and is now a major port for the import of motor vehicles into the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
runs nearby, and the huge car storage compounds around the dock are visible from the Avonmouth Bridge
Avonmouth Bridge
The Avonmouth Bridge is a road bridge that carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon into Somerset near Bristol, England. The main span is long, and the bridge is long, with an air draught above mean high water level of . It also contains a separate footpath and cycleway.The bridge was built...
. A waste industrial area west of the port is being developed as the Portbury Ashlands
Portbury Ashlands
Portbury Ashlands which is now known as Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve is a nature reserve between Portishead and the Royal Portbury Dock in Somerset, England. It was formed from the redevelopment of the area of Portishead formerly occupied by two power stations...
Nature Reserve.
The Royal Portbury Dock has the largest entrance lock into any UK port, accommodating vessels up to 41 m (135 ft) beam, 290 m (951 ft) length and 14.5 m (48 ft) draft.
Operator
The dock is now operated by The Bristol Port Company, who also operate Avonmouth DocksAvonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
, and have done since 1991 when they purchased a 150 year lease from Bristol City Council. Between 2000 and 2002 the Portishead Railway
Portishead Railway
The Portishead Railway was a branch line railway running from Portishead in Somerset to the Great Western Main Line in Bristol, England. It was constructed in the 1860s by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway, which was incorporated to build a pier and a broad gauge link to the Bristol and...
was repaired and extended to the dock at a cost of £21 million.
Trades
Motor vehicles are both loaded and discharged, and stored on paved quay areas and storage compounds. In 2004, over 650,000 vehicles were handled. During 1996, the motor vehicle trade was awarded the International Quality Standard ISO 9002ISO 9000
The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
. Royal Portbury Dock can accommodate up to six RoRo vessels simultaneously.
Aviation fuel tankers up to 120,000 dwt
Deadweight tonnage
Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...
can discharge at the Bristol Aviation Fuel Terminal which opened in 2003, and feeds directly into the UK's pipeline and storage network.
Coal and other bulk cargoes can be discharged with two continuous ship unloaders and two gantry grab cranes, allowing for 5,000 tonne per hour throughput.
Containers and Forest Products are also handled at the dock.