H&W Cranes sailors and builders ship of The Harland and Wolff shipyard was founded in 1861 by footsteps the in walk or Cycle Edward James Harland and Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. The shipyard “Learn about Trail Heritage Maritime the history and was historically one of the biggest employers in the country. The most famous symbols of the shipyard are the yellow heritage; what cranes, Samson and Goliath, which dominate the Belfast these places skyline and can be seen from anywhere in the city. used to look like More than 1,700 vessels have been fully or partially built at the Shipyard, the most famous being the RMS Titanic. The and the people last ship to sail from the yard left in 2003, with the shipyard who used to live now mainly used for design and structural engineering. and work there.” The ‘Big Fish’ Although most locals will know it as the ‘Big Fish’, the mosaic sculpture’s true name is the Salmon of Knowledge. It was commissioned in 1999 to celebrate the regeneration of the Laganside area. Created by artist John Kindness, the sculpture is 10 metres long and clad in ceramic tiles. Each tile tells a story about the city using pictures, text and newspaper cuttings. According to John Kindness: “The Big Fish contains a time capsule storing information, images and poetry of the city”. Introduction St Joseph’s The trail and project have been put together in conjunction with a number of partners, The Maritime Heritage Trail has been developed through Church including Eastside Partnership, Sailortown Cycling UK’s Routes and Roots project. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Community Heritage Fund Situated in Sailortown, an Regeneration, Queen’s Heritage Hub and in early 2021, the project aims to connect the communities area of Belfast that has been Maritime Belfast Trust. of East Belfast and Sailortown through a journey across the transformed since the 1960s. city. The route takes in the Maritime Mile and features many It was formerly a community landmarks synonymous with Belfast, including C.S Lewis that housed over 5,000 Square, the Harland and Wolff cranes, Titanic Quarter, Queen’s people; the men working as Quay, Clarendon Graving Docks and St. Joseph’s Church. sailors or in the docks and image by Peter Ellison the women at home looking after young families or finding SS Nomadic work in the local mills. Take an The population is now vastly diminished as the old terraced The SS Nomadic was the original tender ship for the interactive housing was bulldozed to make way for the M2 motorway. RMS Titanic. It was built alongside the Titanic in Belfast tour of However, a remaining gem of the area is St. Joseph’s Church, in 1911. Inside the SS Nomadic you will find similar luxurious the trail features and interior to the Titanic itself. The ship contains although even this has had its struggles, and has nearly been over 100 years of history and is now docked in its birthplace flattened on numerous occasions. of Belfast after many years of service. Whilst connecting the two communities, the project highlights In 2000 the church was officially closed to be deconsecrated. how industries of the past shaped places and people – This led to a major campaign and protests from local cyclinguk.org/routes-and-roots ropeworks, shipyards, linen mills, distilleries and tobacco HMS Caroline people until in 2006, campaigners managed to secure a factories to name just a few. 150-year lease for the Church to be handed back to them. Another famous ship now docked in Belfast’s Titanic area. These places and this journey are very different to how they Built in Birkenhead in 1914, the HMS Caroline is the last The church was in a terrible state, barely salvageable, would have looked 30 to 40 years ago. The vast majority of surviving ship of the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The HMS but after the creation of the Sailortown Regeneration these industries are now closed, with those remaining majorly Caroline arrived in Belfast in 1924 when it became a static Project and fantastic work by those involved, the church scaled back. Many of the buildings have been knocked down floating headquarters for Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. is being restored back to its former glory. It has now been and replaced by commercial outlets. The ship was decommissioned in 2011 and was restored repurposed as a community hub for activities for young However, we hope that riding or walking this trail will inspire to become a museum in 2016 thanks to support from the people in the local area as well as hosting other events. you to imagine what these places would have once been like. Heritage Lottery Fund. A2 M2 7m Key Test Your Knowledge Limestone Road B126 The answers to these questions are dotted throughout Maritime Heritage Trail the Maritime Heritage Trail. Can you find the answers to them all? Cycle path Duncrue Street Mervue Street On-road cycle lane 1. Which character from the Narnia books overlooks Belfast-Douglas 5 Queens Road C.S Lewis Square? Traffic-free cycle route Take an Airport Road interactive 2. What did Ballymacarrett walkway used to be? 10m Belfast Bike locations (bike hire) tour of 3. Which crane is older: Samson or Goliath? 6 Queens Road the trail North City 1 C.S Lewis Square 6 The Great Light 4. How tall and heavy is the Great Light? Business Centre Dufferin Road Bombardier 7 SS Nomadic 5. Who was the captain of the HMS Caroline? 2 Pollock Road Aerospace 8 Marina Musgrave Channel Road 6. What year did the SS Nomadic return to Belfast? Harland and Spamount Street 3 H&W Cranes Yorkgate 9 Big Fish Wolff 7. What do the Belfast buoys mark out? 4 Titanic Museum A2 8. Which Clarendon graving dock is bigger: 1 or 2? 10 St Joseph’s Church 5 HMS Caroline Belfast/Isle of Man Steam Airport Road 5 Packet Cityside Retail Park M2 A2 Corry Road Henry St 10 Q ork Street u ee Victoria Park B126 Pilot Street n 4 s A2 R o 2 a d A12 Queens Road A2 SAILORTOWN 7 Bombardier Airport Road Aerospace Connsbank Road B88 9 d a o 3 R Nelson Street 8 s n Corporation Street e e u Q A6 University of A2 Ulster A2 King George Sydenham Road Playing Fields M3 Lisavon Street 10 3 Donegall Quay Old Channel Road 5m Park Avenue Titanic Quarter 9 10m 10m Island Street Mersey Street Connsbrook Avenue North Street Arcade A2 Servern Street Pims Avenue Lagan A2 ictoria Street Bus Centre Tamar Street EASTSIDE High St Bridge End Bridge End A2 Lewis Park Portview Trade R 6m i v 0 A23 0.6 miles Centre e Ann Street r 1 6 L Bryson Street ag Victoria an 1 Square A20 0 0.5 1 km Esri, Intermap, NASA, NGA, USGS, A20 A20 Esri Community Maps Contributors, Esri UK, Esri, HERE, Garmin, INCREMENT P, Ravenscroft METINASA, USGS Belfast Connswater Connswater City Hall Industrial Estate Belfast Lanyon Shopping Centre A20 Place Madrid Street.