Its story began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol wine merchant who left a legacy to build a bridge over the Gorge.
The first competition in 1829 was judged by Thomas Telford, the leading civil engineer of the day. Telford rejected all the designs and submitted his own but the decision to declare him a winnner was unpopular and a second competition was held in 1830. 24 year old Isambard Kingdom Brunel was evenutally declared the winner and appointed project manager - his first major commission.
Work began in 1831 but the project was dogged with political and financial difficulties and by 1843, with only the towers completed the project was abandoned.
Brunel died prematurely aged 53 yrs in 1859 but the bridge was completed as his memorial and finally opened in 1864. Designed in the early 19th century for light horse-drawn traffic it still meets the demands of the 21st century commuter traffic with 11-12,000 motor vehicles crossing it every day.
Guided Tours
Guided Tours of the Bridge by knowledgeable staff, many of whom are also `Blue Badge` Registered Tourist Guides are available at any time by arrangement.
For Schools we can support the curriculum - and we are used to welcoming everyone from Year 1 right through to A2 Level. We can add great educational value to your visit.
There are also plenty of opportunities for cross-curricula and non-curriculum work in science, design and technology, mathematics, geography, ICT, art etc. We are limited only by the imagination!
If you are a Group leader or organiser why not make a visit to the Bridge more interesting? There is more to admire than just the view, fantastic though it is. Tours are in English but we are all well equipped in welcoming visitors of all ages from all over the world for whom English is not the first language.
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