Adrian Andrews

The bridge began as the fantastic dream of one man. In 1754, William Vick, a local wine merchant, left £1000 in his will to be invested until it had grown enough to pay for a bridge to be built across the Avon Gorge.

Little happened for 35 years until, in 1829, a competition to design a bridge was staged. 22 designs were submitted but all were rejected by the judge, Thomas Telford, who was then the greatest engineer of the day. Telford was asked to submit his own design, which was accepted.. The decision was highly controversial, and following protests, the trustees decided to stage a second competition.

After initial doubts, Brunel was declared the winner in 1831; however, it took five years for work to get underway.

Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust

Construction began in 1836 and continued over 7 years, but work came to a halt in 1843. The trustees had run out of money and new investors couldn't be found. The two stone piers stood as two lonely monoliths for 20 years. Sadly, in 1859, Brunel died - never to see his bridge completed.

In his lifetime, Brunel was one of the most prolific and innovative engineers of the Victorian Age and his colleagues at the Institute of Civil Engineers wanted to honour him. Finishing the bridge seemed a fitting tribute. The shortfall in money was soon raised and work resumed, in Spring 1863.

A temporary wire bridge linked the two towers and two sets of chains, recycled from Brunel's decommissioned Hungerford Bridge, were assembled on it, first one side then the other with the ends firmly anchored deep into the ground. Wrought iron rods were hung from the chains on either side, girders attached between them and the road laid over it.

Clifton Suspension Bridge received its grand opening in December 1864 in front of a huge crowd and has been amazing visitors ever since.