Matthew of Bristol

Over 500 years ago John Cabot and his crew set sail for Asia aboard the original Matthew hoping to trade goods and commodities with the people who lived there.

However, he finally arrived on the coast of Newfoundland and therefore was the original discoverer of North America, not Christopher Columbus as most people believe.

In 1997 the replica Matthew followed the same course as John Cabot in 1497 and sailed across to Newfoundland. It carried the same number of crew members as the original and took the same amount of time to complete the crossing.

Today The Matthew is based in Bristol Harbour during the autumn and winter months and is open to the public as well as undertaking short cruises around the harbour. During spring and summer time, the sails are unfurled and the ship continues to explore the exciting wild seas around the British isles and Northern Europe - creating quite a spectacle wherever she ventures.