A couple of corrections to what you say. The route of the railway out of Temple Meads was not from the Bristol and Exeter side of the station approach ramp. It went on the northern side of the approach beyond the original Brunel station and crossed the main road on a bridge between the two now derelict hotels. Look at any of the historic maps of the area. Also the red brick building on Redcliffe wharf is not related to the railway, it was the watch office for the Bristol fire boat Pyronaut - which is now preserved by the M Shed museum and moored in front of the museum. (It does trips some weekends)
Thank you Alan! Thanks for the information and clarifications - much appreciated. I do admit I don't know Bristol at all well, although I grew up in neighbouring Gloucestershire. However, I am feeling I am getting to know it a little better, having visited the city many times over the past few weeks, and plan to again soon. It is positively dripping in history! I will pin your comment to the top so others can see it. Thanks again, Cheers, Paul
One additional point, three of the four electric cranes in front of M shed are operational and used routinely for the work on the M Shed working exhibits. Some weekends you can visit the cabs and help drive the cranes. (I am one of the volunteers for the exhibits!)
The start of the railway is now an outside car park on the far side of the original GWR train shed. I remember a grey bridge across the main road, passing beside the Grosvenor Hotel. The next bridge was demolished when the 1960s flyover was built. At the entrance to Bathurst Basin, you could see the standard and broad gauge tracks as they reached the swing bridge. Gone now, I believe. Great video, thanks.
Yes, you're right. The entrance Paul is standing outside joins up with the subway, opposite the toilets and where the cashpoints used to be. It gets used when access from platform 3 is suspended. I've been through it. Maybe you have too.
Thank you! Ah, yes! Viv Stanshaw! He was of 'Tubular Bells' fame too - said out the name of each instrument that Mike Oldfield played. Glad you enjoyed the video - thank you for watching and commenting. Cheers, Paul
In the back of St Mary Redcliffe is a piece of tram track at 50 degrees sticking out of the grass. Apparently during an air raid it shot up into the air and landed in the church yard. Was down at centre today and the Mathew came out of the lock at the cumberland basin and then went down the avon towards sea mills. Caroline
Fascinating and very enjoyable video. The harbour area has taken on a new lease of life, complete with its own railway. Very different to when I last visited about 20 years ago. Good to see also that Temple Meads is also being restored to something like its former glory. It really is an architectural gem. Thank you.
Thank you Malcolm. Sorry, I think UA-cam had a bit of a glitch when this went out as I missed a load of new and unreplied comment notifications. Glad you enjoyed the video! Cheers, Paul
Lovely, lively video, Paul. There was so much going on at the harbour, but the little steam train giving people rides back and forth! That's the way to travel on a warm summers day. In an open truck. I assume that loco was designed for dock working, given the short wheelbase. It was in remarkably good condition. I liked the chap holding a green flag out of the end wagon, to enable the driver to see if the road was clear. Good stuff Paul.
Thank you Lionel & Mary. This really isn't my sort of thing, and it was a very hard video to make - to be honest, I am not that happy with the finished result. Glad you enjoyed it though. I do hope it is more pleasant when I return to make Part 2! Hope all is good with you. Take care, Paul
Yes, for some reason this steam heritage railway has a much lower profile and public awareness than the likes of the West Somerset Railway and Severn Valley Railway. I don't think the Harbour Railway is much known at all. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, Paul
Your enthusiasm was almost palpable- I’m so glad you had a really enjoyable visit to the Bristol Docks. I have never been to Bristol so unfamiliar with all the famous sites,streets, buildings etc. I enjoyed our wander down to the docks through the backstreets- lots to see just doing that! I noticed the obligatory shopping trolley when we looked at the disused line!! It was good to see part of the Boat Festival- The Matthew was so nippy even without sails! 😀 Thanks Paul- waiting patiently for Part 2.( Did wonder re health & safety & children on the railway & docks)
Good Morning Paul and greetings from an overcast but still very warm, Poland. A fabulous video. Full of historical facts and information. The hustle and bustle of the docks Festival was superb. So much to see and do. The steam loco featured, Henbury, really does fir into its current environment. She was built in Bristol and spent all her working life working in Bristol and Avonmouth Docks. I'm so pleased for you that you coped with all the people and noise. Really looking forward to part two
Thank you Michael! It appears I missed a lot of replies to comments on this video - UA-cam isn't showing them as 'not replied to ' like it should be doing, so I am backtracking manually. Glad you enjoyed it and I already know you watched and liked part two. Take care, Paul
15:12 For those not aware, John Cabot has a Tower named in his honour and it's this one. On the horizon, Brandon Hill is host to the Cabot tower. Centre of shot here.
Thank you Dave! Yes, I think that this railway and associated heritage railway run by the M Shed Museum as a very low awareness profile amongst the general public. It does get well supported - but mainly by local families with children, rather than railway enthusiats. Although, it was really good to see it so well supported and people interested in it. Cheers, Paul
See the comment made by @alanstansfield7707. The line ran behind platform 1, through the outside car park on an embankment, across Temple Gate and Redcliffe Way, then into a tunnel beneath Redcliffe Hill. Both portals are still visible. There was a swing bridge across the top of Bathurst Basin; you can find a photo of it on Google Images.
Ypu put so much effort into these videos - I do take the time to watch…that’s why it sometimes takes a while to cacth up. Another well documents episode and good to learn more about the history. I enjoyed my visit to your channel Paul. Enjoy the rest of the week. 🇳🇱🙋🏼♀️🥝👌
Thank you Anita! Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you have a really great week too - it is very warm here at the moment - hoping it will cool down a little before I can walk and film again. Take care, Paul
Great video. A couple of little additional things, that you may, or may not be aware of: At the back of St Mary Redcliffe, is a piece of tramline sticking out of the churchyard. Blown there by a bomb in WW2. There’s also a grave and headstone for the church cat. On the way down to Bathurst Basin, you pass along Guinea Street. It was on this street the the famous pirate Blackbeard was born.
Thank you! I have done a Part Two video on this railway now when I talk about that rail in St. Mary Redcliffe's churchyard, but I still did not manage to find it! I didn't know about Blackbeard! Fascinating! Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Paul
Absolutely fantastic video Paul! So fascinating! It’s brilliant that you included the walk from Templemeads too. I often wander around Bristol without giving a second thought to its history, so it was great to be enlightened to some of it. The harbour festival looked fantastic! I would have loved a ride on that open top steam train!
Thank you Louise! Glad you enjoyed it. I did find this a hard video to make and this part of Bristol I am not keen on to be honest with you. However the train journey was really cool, and it only runs on a few days each year, so it was good to see it despite it being an extremely busy day there. I will be back to do a part two though - hopefully on a quieter day! Thank you for a lovely comment. Paul
Enjoyed that Paul. We haven’t ventured to Bristol tbh and we really should. The harbour looks like there is plenty to discover. Interesting seeing and hearing about the railway there. Which obviously served the extremely busy port. The train ride was very cool. Seeing the modern flats against the backdrop of the harbour. Wry enjoyabke video. 👍🏻
Thank you Paul! Glad you enjoyed it! Sorry, I thought I had replied to your comment, but just realised I had not! Hope you are keeping well, take care, Paul
Just so enjoy the mixing in of the older pictures. Such a great connection from the present to the past! Such amazing architecture that has past the test of time!
You've captured the excitement of the event perfectly, which I've been to in the past. lt seems as popular as ever. I worked in Bristol for a year before I retired and I hated the place, or at least the area I was based in and its population, but you show the city at its best. Comment has been made about 'elf and safety' but no one has spotted the state of that track, but I'm sure you did..
Thank you Philip! Yes, there was much excitment there that day. I had not planned to film when the festival was on though - I thought that was on the Saturday (it was, but it was on the Sunday too) but there are only a very few Harbour Railway running days unfortunately. Hope to do Part Two soon on (hopefully!) a much quieter day. Cheers, Paul
We had the good fortune of visiting Bristol and the harbor in March of this year on a brief one-day visit, arriving and departing via the GWR and Bristol Temple Meads. Your wonderful video explained so much about the history and 'lay of the land' of what we saw. Thank you for clearing up so many things we wondered about. Cheers!
Thank you so much and glad that you found the video enjoyable. Sorry for delay in replying but I missed a lot of 'not replied to comments ' notifications on this video from UA-cam for some reason so I am now back tracking manually. Cheers, Paul
Paul, the railway crossed Temple Gate at 5:04, through the gap behind your head. The bridge was intact when the Holiday Inn was built. The Thekla was originally the Old Profanity Showboat and was owned by the wife of Vivien Stanshall of Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band fame.
Thanks Jack! Yes, I included a photo in Part Two video of the Bristol Harbour Railway of the railway bridge outside of Temple Meads that carried the harbour railway over Temple Gate - hopefully that area around Grosvenor Hotel can be tidied up a bit - not a great entrance to the city when you step off the train presently. I remember Viv Stanshaw - "...and....Tubular Bells!" What a character! They don't make them like that anymore. Cheers, Paul
Hi Paul, Wow so much going on in such a small place. The sounds of the steam engine came over really really well. It's the first time I've seen anything moving there. On our visits to Bristol, for work, we would often look across the harbour and see a solitary waggon and no more. Very interesting to see the lines origin near to Temple Meads. You've reminded me that I would have walked over the sidings in what was the Strachan and Henshaw works at Ashton Gate. I didn't realise they were part of the dockside line. I too wondered about openess of the operational lines but it looked well under control. With so many people there I think it must have been quite a challenge for you. But it was an excellent reflection of the open day. Well done!! All the best!!
Thank you! I think this is my least favourite video that I have made to date, and, in my opinion, my worst. I still like 'Autumnal Gold' the best. It is not an area I like at all - so much deprivation, litter, graffitti and a very run down feel to it. The new buildings are very ugly in my opinion, and it is a shame they could not have restored what was originally here, like they have done in Liverpool and Gloucester. However, there is a lot of railway history here, so it does make it a bit worthwhile. I do hope it is quieter when I film Part Two. Unfortunately, the harbour festival was on when I visited - I was not aware of this, and would not have gone there had I known it was on. The steam trains run on just a very few days of the year though, and it had to conicide with the festival on this occasion, and when I was free to film here. Glad you enjoyed it though. Hope all is good with you. Thank you for a great comment. Take care, Paul
Hi Paul, Great video, I was somewhat surprised to see that the locomotive was allowed to propel the train in the down direction, I can only assume it must have had a very severe speed restriction placed on it.
Thank you Andrew. Yes, I haven't seen done that before on a heritage line, although, this one seems to operate within looser rules than other heritage lines that I have seen - no fences and people allowed to walk over live tracks, for example! Glad you enjoyed it, Take care, Paul
The harbour railway ran from the left of the Brunel station and through the gap between the soon to be demolished hotel on a bridge. The Brunel station is not a car park. It is the Midland extension
I think there is a nursery/play group in that part of the building now as well as a bar at the Temple Gate end. The Brunel Station that I featured in Part One was used as an exhibition hall a while ago, but it now seems to be empty and semi-derelict. Such a waste. Cheers, Paul
The cranes date from 1950 and have been there since then. They were used for moving cargo from the ships in the harbour, but they have been silent since the 1970s. I am not aware of any military connections. Cheers, Paul
A couple of corrections to what you say.
The route of the railway out of Temple Meads was not from the Bristol and Exeter side of the station approach ramp. It went on the northern side of the approach beyond the original Brunel station and crossed the main road on a bridge between the two now derelict hotels. Look at any of the historic maps of the area.
Also the red brick building on Redcliffe wharf is not related to the railway, it was the watch office for the Bristol fire boat Pyronaut - which is now preserved by the M Shed museum and moored in front of the museum. (It does trips some weekends)
Thank you Alan!
Thanks for the information and clarifications - much appreciated.
I do admit I don't know Bristol at all well, although I grew up in neighbouring Gloucestershire. However, I am feeling I am getting to know it a little better, having visited the city many times over the past few weeks, and plan to again soon. It is positively dripping in history!
I will pin your comment to the top so others can see it.
Thanks again,
Cheers,
Paul
One additional point, three of the four electric cranes in front of M shed are operational and used routinely for the work on the M Shed working exhibits. Some weekends you can visit the cabs and help drive the cranes. (I am one of the volunteers for the exhibits!)
@@alanstansfield7707 Ah, brilliant! I may meet you when I do my M Shed video then! Paul
The start of the railway is now an outside car park on the far side of the original GWR train shed.
I remember a grey bridge across the main road, passing beside the Grosvenor Hotel. The next bridge was demolished when the 1960s flyover was built.
At the entrance to Bathurst Basin, you could see the standard and broad gauge tracks as they reached the swing bridge. Gone now, I believe.
Great video, thanks.
Yes, you're right. The entrance Paul is standing outside joins up with the subway, opposite the toilets and where the cashpoints used to be. It gets used when access from platform 3 is suspended. I've been through it. Maybe you have too.
Bristol is one of England's interesting cities, especially when it comes to the railways. Brilliant video as always Paul. Thank you for the mention.
Thank you Alice!
Cheers,
Paul
Nice video ☺️ The Thekla used to be called The Old Profanity Showboat and was bought and restored by Vivian Stanshall from The Bonzo Dog Doo Da Band
Thank you!
Ah, yes! Viv Stanshaw! He was of 'Tubular Bells' fame too - said out the name of each instrument that Mike Oldfield played. Glad you enjoyed the video - thank you for watching and commenting. Cheers, Paul
What a great video! Paul, my friend who lives in Bristol would be interested in this too,although I think he is subscribed to your channel.
Thank you Michael! Glad you enjoyed it.
Sorry, I never got a notification for your comment, so sorry about the delay in replying.
Take care,
Paul
In the back of St Mary Redcliffe is a piece of tram track at 50 degrees sticking out of the grass. Apparently during an air raid it shot up into the air and landed in the church yard. Was down at centre today and the Mathew came out of the lock at the cumberland basin and then went down the avon towards sea mills. Caroline
Fascinating and very enjoyable video. The harbour area has taken on a new lease of life, complete with its own railway. Very different to when I last visited about 20 years ago. Good to see also that Temple Meads is also being restored to something like its former glory. It really is an architectural gem. Thank you.
Thank you Malcolm.
Sorry, I think UA-cam had a bit of a glitch when this went out as I missed a load of new and unreplied comment notifications.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Cheers,
Paul
Lovely, lively video, Paul. There was so much going on at the harbour, but the little steam train giving people rides back and forth! That's the way to travel on a warm summers day. In an open truck. I assume that loco was designed for dock working, given the short wheelbase. It was in remarkably good condition. I liked the chap holding a green flag out of the end wagon, to enable the driver to see if the road was clear. Good stuff Paul.
Thank you Lionel & Mary.
This really isn't my sort of thing, and it was a very hard video to make - to be honest, I am not that happy with the finished result. Glad you enjoyed it though.
I do hope it is more pleasant when I return to make Part 2!
Hope all is good with you.
Take care,
Paul
What a wonderful video. I never knew that there was tunnel under st Mary redcliffe although I know the area well as my son lives on Colston parade.
Yes, for some reason this steam heritage railway has a much lower profile and public awareness than the likes of the West Somerset Railway and Severn Valley Railway.
I don't think the Harbour Railway is much known at all.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Paul
Your enthusiasm was almost palpable- I’m so glad you had a really enjoyable visit to the Bristol Docks.
I have never been to Bristol so unfamiliar with all the famous sites,streets, buildings etc.
I enjoyed our wander down to the docks through the backstreets- lots to see just doing that!
I noticed the obligatory shopping trolley when we looked at the disused line!!
It was good to see part of the Boat Festival- The Matthew was so nippy even without sails! 😀
Thanks Paul- waiting patiently for Part 2.( Did wonder re health & safety & children on the railway & docks)
Thank you Diana.
For some reason UA-cam has not notified me of some comments on this video. Sorry!
Glad you enjoyed it though.
Take care,
Paul
Good Morning Paul and greetings from an overcast but still very warm, Poland.
A fabulous video. Full of historical facts and information. The hustle and bustle of the docks Festival was superb. So much to see and do. The steam loco featured, Henbury, really does fir into its current environment. She was built in Bristol and spent all her working life working in Bristol and Avonmouth Docks.
I'm so pleased for you that you coped with all the people and noise.
Really looking forward to part two
Thank you Michael!
It appears I missed a lot of replies to comments on this video - UA-cam isn't showing them as 'not replied to ' like it should be doing, so I am backtracking manually.
Glad you enjoyed it and I already know you watched and liked part two.
Take care,
Paul
That was a thoroughly enjoyable video, there was plenty to see & do that day.
Thank you Faith!
Sorry UA-cam never sent me a notification about your comment - Indeed many on this video!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul nice video from Bristol ,lots of history 👌
Thank you Roy!
Sorry I seemed to have missed a lot of notifications for comments on this video.
Hope you are having a good weekend.
Take care,
Paul
15:12 For those not aware, John Cabot has a Tower named in his honour and it's this one.
On the horizon, Brandon Hill is host to the Cabot tower. Centre of shot here.
Apparently the tower has a twin in St Johns, Newfoundland, also called Cabot Tower.
A thoroughly entertaining well-researched half-hour video Paul, as are all your efforts. I look forward to the next part.
Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Paul
What an interesting video Paul. I never knew there was a railway going from Temple Meads to the Habour. Well you live and learn. Brilliant 👏
Thank you Dave!
Yes, I think that this railway and associated heritage railway run by the M Shed Museum as a very low awareness profile amongst the general public. It does get well supported - but mainly by local families with children, rather than railway enthusiats. Although, it was really good to see it so well supported and people interested in it.
Cheers,
Paul
See the comment made by @alanstansfield7707. The line ran behind platform 1, through the outside car park on an embankment, across Temple Gate and Redcliffe Way, then into a tunnel beneath Redcliffe Hill. Both portals are still visible. There was a swing bridge across the top of Bathurst Basin; you can find a photo of it on Google Images.
Ypu put so much effort into these videos - I do take the time to watch…that’s why it sometimes takes a while to cacth up. Another well documents episode and good to learn more about the history. I enjoyed my visit to your channel Paul. Enjoy the rest of the week. 🇳🇱🙋🏼♀️🥝👌
Thank you Anita!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Hope you have a really great week too - it is very warm here at the moment - hoping it will cool down a little before I can walk and film again.
Take care,
Paul
Great video. A couple of little additional things, that you may, or may not be aware of:
At the back of St Mary Redcliffe, is a piece of tramline sticking out of the churchyard. Blown there by a bomb in WW2. There’s also a grave and headstone for the church cat. On the way down to Bathurst Basin, you pass along Guinea Street. It was on this street the the famous pirate Blackbeard was born.
Thank you!
I have done a Part Two video on this railway now when I talk about that rail in St. Mary Redcliffe's churchyard, but I still did not manage to find it!
I didn't know about Blackbeard! Fascinating!
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Cheers,
Paul
Absolutely fantastic video Paul! So fascinating! It’s brilliant that you included the walk from Templemeads too. I often wander around Bristol without giving a second thought to its history, so it was great to be enlightened to some of it. The harbour festival looked fantastic! I would have loved a ride on that open top steam train!
Thank you Louise!
Glad you enjoyed it.
I did find this a hard video to make and this part of Bristol I am not keen on to be honest with you. However the train journey was really cool, and it only runs on a few days each year, so it was good to see it despite it being an extremely busy day there.
I will be back to do a part two though - hopefully on a quieter day!
Thank you for a lovely comment.
Paul
Very interersting video. Bristol is a fascinating and creative city!
Thank you! Yes, Bristol most certainly is!
Enjoyed that Paul. We haven’t ventured to Bristol tbh and we really should. The harbour looks like there is plenty to discover. Interesting seeing and hearing about the railway there. Which obviously served the extremely busy port. The train ride was very cool. Seeing the modern flats against the backdrop of the harbour. Wry enjoyabke video. 👍🏻
Thank you Paul! Glad you enjoyed it! Sorry, I thought I had replied to your comment, but just realised I had not! Hope you are keeping well, take care, Paul
Just so enjoy the mixing in of the older pictures. Such a great connection from the present to the past! Such amazing architecture that has past the test of time!
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Paul
Cheers for posting Paul really like that part of Bristol should of called in the ostrich pub for pint 👍👍👍
Thank you Lee! Sorry - only just spotted your comment. Hope all is good with you. Cheers, Paul
You've captured the excitement of the event perfectly, which I've been to in the past. lt seems as popular as ever. I worked in Bristol for a year before I retired and I hated the place, or at least the area I was based in and its population, but you show the city at its best. Comment has been made about 'elf and safety' but no one has spotted the state of that track, but I'm sure you did..
Thank you Philip!
Yes, there was much excitment there that day. I had not planned to film when the festival was on though - I thought that was on the Saturday (it was, but it was on the Sunday too) but there are only a very few Harbour Railway running days unfortunately.
Hope to do Part Two soon on (hopefully!) a much quieter day.
Cheers,
Paul
We had the good fortune of visiting Bristol and the harbor in March of this year on a brief one-day visit, arriving and departing via the GWR and Bristol Temple Meads. Your wonderful video explained so much about the history and 'lay of the land' of what we saw. Thank you for clearing up so many things we wondered about. Cheers!
Thank you so much and glad that you found the video enjoyable.
Sorry for delay in replying but I missed a lot of 'not replied to comments ' notifications on this video from UA-cam for some reason so I am now back tracking manually.
Cheers,
Paul
6:01 Certain reasonably local urban explorers might be worth digging out if you'd like lots of different angles on this under appreciated tunnel.
Thanks, but I don't support trespass on my channel. Paul
@@westcountrywanderings Well said, Paul !
Paul, the railway crossed Temple Gate at 5:04, through the gap behind your head. The bridge was intact when the Holiday Inn was built. The Thekla was originally the Old Profanity Showboat and was owned by the wife of Vivien Stanshall of Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band fame.
Thanks Jack!
Yes, I included a photo in Part Two video of the Bristol Harbour Railway of the railway bridge outside of Temple Meads that carried the harbour railway over Temple Gate - hopefully that area around Grosvenor Hotel can be tidied up a bit - not a great entrance to the city when you step off the train presently.
I remember Viv Stanshaw - "...and....Tubular Bells!" What a character! They don't make them like that anymore.
Cheers,
Paul
Hi Paul, Wow so much going on in such a small place. The sounds of the steam engine came over really really well.
It's the first time I've seen anything moving there. On our visits to Bristol, for work, we would often look across the harbour and see a solitary waggon and no more.
Very interesting to see the lines origin near to Temple Meads. You've reminded me that I would have walked over the sidings in what was the Strachan and Henshaw works at Ashton Gate. I didn't realise they were part of the dockside line.
I too wondered about openess of the operational lines but it looked well under control.
With so many people there I think it must have been quite a challenge for you. But it was an excellent reflection of the open day. Well done!!
All the best!!
Thank you!
I think this is my least favourite video that I have made to date, and, in my opinion, my worst. I still like 'Autumnal Gold' the best.
It is not an area I like at all - so much deprivation, litter, graffitti and a very run down feel to it. The new buildings are very ugly in my opinion, and it is a shame they could not have restored what was originally here, like they have done in Liverpool and Gloucester.
However, there is a lot of railway history here, so it does make it a bit worthwhile.
I do hope it is quieter when I film Part Two. Unfortunately, the harbour festival was on when I visited - I was not aware of this, and would not have gone there had I known it was on. The steam trains run on just a very few days of the year though, and it had to conicide with the festival on this occasion, and when I was free to film here.
Glad you enjoyed it though.
Hope all is good with you.
Thank you for a great comment.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul, Great video, I was somewhat surprised to see that the locomotive was allowed to propel the train in the down direction, I can only assume it must have had a very severe speed restriction placed on it.
Thank you Andrew.
Yes, I haven't seen done that before on a heritage line, although, this one seems to operate within looser rules than other heritage lines that I have seen - no fences and people allowed to walk over live tracks, for example!
Glad you enjoyed it,
Take care,
Paul
The harbour railway ran from the left of the Brunel station and through the gap between the soon to be demolished hotel on a bridge. The Brunel station is not a car park. It is the Midland extension
I think there is a nursery/play group in that part of the building now as well as a bar at the Temple Gate end.
The Brunel Station that I featured in Part One was used as an exhibition hall a while ago, but it now seems to be empty and semi-derelict. Such a waste.
Cheers,
Paul
So surprised with health and safety the way it is today, that all those people were allowed to walk about near a working steam locomotive.
I certainly have not come across that before on any other heritage railway!
We're all the cranes for moving cargo? Looked like maybe military ship building cranes. I don't know at all.
The cranes date from 1950 and have been there since then. They were used for moving cargo from the ships in the harbour, but they have been silent since the 1970s. I am not aware of any military connections. Cheers, Paul