Celebrating 10 years of Bristol’s Wapping Wharf

It’s ten years since Wapping Wharf was transformed from a derelict shipbuilding yard into a thriving independent waterfront community.

Once a forgotten part of the city, Wapping Wharf has become one of the city’s best-loved neighbourhoods thanks to our partnership with Umberslade. An empty disused site when it was acquired in 2003, it has become a scenic harbourside community packed with independent restaurants, bars, shops and residential buildings.

A thriving shipbuilding yard and dry dock in the eighteenth century, the site had fallen into disuse when Umberslade acquired it over 20 years ago. The vision was to create an attractive new neighbourhood that reflected the independent spirit of Bristol, and in 2006 Bristol City Council approved plans to develop Wapping Wharf into a mixed-use development of new restaurants, cafes, shops and homes.

We came in as residential partner to create a mix of home types, sizes and tenures to cater for different kinds of families at all stages of life. The 450 homes are a mix of affordable and open market for private sale, private rent, social rent and shared ownership, attracting a variety of people. This has created a strong sense of community, making it a welcoming place to live, work and relax.

The architecture of the homes also references the unique dockside character of the area, making use of materials such as timber shiplap, brickwork and cobblestones that were salvaged from the derelict site.

Alongside this, our partners Umberslade carefully curated a mix of independent restaurants, shops and cafes, to create a thriving new community which has become the highlight of the city’s eclectic food scene, attracting visitors from far and wide.

The masterplan also worked to integrate the old with the new.  It paid homage to the history of the area with the careful restoration of the 19th Century Grade II listed Gaol Gate, creating a feature entrance to the neighbourhood and providing an important unification of South Bristol and the city centre.

In 2015 the first residents and tenants moved in, and today Wapping Wharf is home to over 1,000 people and 45 independent restaurants and retailers. It has become one of Bristol’s most-loved neighbourhoods, popular with locals and tourists alike.

It’s clear that Wapping Wharf is a shining example of what can be achieved through long-standing, values-driven partnerships.

Over the past decade, our collaboration with Umberslade has transformed this once-forgotten corner of Bristol into a vibrant, independent community that people are proud to call home. It’s been a privilege to help shape a place that reflects the spirit of the city so authentically, and we can’t wait to see how this thriving community continues to develop.