Clifton Suspension Bridge turns 150

[MidnightFlyer]

The Clifton Suspension Bridge - built 150 years ago - looms over Bristol - a symbol of the city and its creator Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Yet the great Victorian engineer's masterpiece was originally meant to look quite different.

Brunel had a profound impact on the West of England - and nowhere is this seen more than in Bristol.

Not only does his Great Western Railway extend here from London but the ss Great Britain he designed sits in the harbour - a harbour which Brunel himself had a hand in helping expand.

Perched high above the Avon Gorge sits his crowning glory - The Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Brunel was aged just 24 - and already regarded as a great engineer - when his design for the bridge won a public competition.

His original design had included sphinxes on the bridge's towers, but a lack of money forced Brunel to tone this down, resulting in the plainer towers we see today.
...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-30211035

Some great photos in that link too.

Brunel is probably my favourite engineer ever, and the CSB is truly his crowning glory, and is still one of my favourite places in the country. It's sad that he never lived to it completed, but the fact that it is still going some century and a half later is a testament to what an amazing talent he was. Congrats Clifton Suspension Bridge, here's to the next 150

 

[Clip]

Still not as good as any bridge in Newcastle - well apart from the redheugh bridge

but yeah like the Clifton bridge for sure stunning bit of work that.

 

[CarltonA]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge
There are some interesting facts about the bridge on the above link. I knew about the woman who "parachuted" from the bridge but had not known about the plane crash that closed the railway below for a while.