Clifton Suspension Bridge

...Britain and of course the Clifton Suspension Bridge. I also wanted to see the Brunel 200 exhibition in the maritime Centre building, which I believe finishes in October.

THE IDEA IS HATCHED

When Brunel launched the Great Britain from its current home, in July 1843, the Avon Gorge was without a bridge, although in a sense it had already been in the "planning stage" since 1754. A wine trader by the name of William ...
...crossing the Avon Gorge from Clifton Down to Leigh Woods.

The mystery is quite why Mr Vicks should want to see such crossing built. At the time of his death, Clifton Down amounted to a couple of houses, an ancient church and farmland. Leigh Woods was just that - woodland.

Fifty years later and Clifton's fortunes were on the up. Clifton had become THE fashionable place to live, terraces rivalling those in Bath were being ... more

Those of you who know me well, or who have long memories, will know that I have two heroes in life, both Engineers. One was a family member, familiar only on the pages of Ciao, the other Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

I had, very much wanted to be in Bristol on the weekend of April 8th / 9th, in order to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Brunel's birth. Due to circumstances beyond my control, this just was not possible. I was at the time fortunate enough to get hold of the excellent set of Royal mail commemorative stamps from our local post office, the 60p one of which shows a period print of the very subject of this review.

Many cities had various celebrations marking the anniversary, but, being the site of his most visible achievements, Bristol has been host to the year long "Brunel 200" festivities.

Having a guest staying with us from Poland for the summer, a couple of Sundays ago, in late August, we decided to drive down to Bristol and show her the ss Great Britain and of course the Clifton Suspension Bridge. I also wanted to see the Brunel 200 exhibition in the maritime Centre building, which I believe finishes in October.

THE IDEA IS HATCHED

When Brunel launched the Great Britain from its current home, in July 1843, the Avon Gorge was without a bridge, although in a sense it had already been in the "planning stage" since 1754. A wine trader by the name of William Vick, who had made his fortune in Bristol, died in that year, leaving £1000 in trust, intending that when it had grown to £10,000 it would fund a stone bridge, crossing the Avon Gorge from Clifton Down to Leigh Woods.

The mystery is quite why Mr Vicks should want to see such crossing built. At the time of his death, Clifton Down amounted to a couple of houses, an ancient church and farmland. Leigh Woods was just that - woodland.

Fifty years later and Clifton's fortunes were on the up. Clifton had become THE fashionable place to live, terraces rivalling those in Bath were being built, and wealthy Bristol residents were moving out of the grimy city centre and docks area and to the gentrified surroundings of Clifton on top of the hill, overlooking the southern end of the Avon Gorge.

Periodically Mr Vicks idea was aired, most famously when a man by the laughably appropriate name of William Bridges proposed the building of a colossal arched building, five stories high on each side. This he suggested would provide housing, a pub, granary and even a chapel. Looking at the geography of the site, one wonders if he had ever actually visited Bristol before drawing this incredible (in the true sense of the word) bridge.

BRISTOL NEEDS A BRIDGE, ANY IDEAS?

In the early 1820's, bridge building had become something of a British pre-occupation, spurred on by Thomas Telford bridging both the Menai and Conway Straights. Bristol, being a very important and prosperous city, did not want to be left behind. Apart from which, there were by now several thousand pounds burning a hole in their pockets, thanks to Mr Vicks trust fund.

A bridge committee was set up, headed by Bristol's mayor, in order to consider the options with regards to designing, funding and building a bridge at Clifton. In 1829 a competition was launched to design the bridge, a 100 guinea prize was to be awarded to the successful designer. This captured the imagination of architects and engineers all over the country. Mr Vicks had been very specific in that the bridge should be of stone, which naturally lead the majority to design traditional, if massive stone bridges.

One by one, once costed, all of the stone bridge proposals had to be rejected. Built from stone, it was estimated that a bridge would cost £90,000 - the trust fund value stood at £8000!

Amongst the many designs submitted, several had proposed the use of a much lighter, modern and cheaper material - wrought iron. Whilst it still would far exceed the cost of £8000 to build, the Bristol luminaries considered that by charging travellers to cross the bridge they could recoup the building costs over a reasonable period of time. The competition remit was narrowed down to the design of a wrought iron suspension bridge.

THANK YOU THOMAS TELFORD, JUST WHAT WE NEED!

By all accounts, at this stage, the competition turned into something of a fiasco. The committee decided to commission famous engineer, and renowned bridge builder, Thomas Telford, to judge the competition. He was by this time 70 years old and not 100% au-fait with modern materials such as wrought iron. On one ground or another, he rejected every design, including the one produced by I.K. Brunel.

Telford at the last moment proposed his own design, which the committee accepted and put forward in January 1830 to Parliament in a Bill for approval. The people of Bristol, hearing about this, were up in arms about it, calling foul play.

In May 1830 the parliamentary Bill was approved, at which time the committee were still £22,000 short of the cost estimated to build Telford's bridge. Diplomatically, they dropped his proposal on grounds of insufficient funding and considered four other designs, one of which was Brunel's.

A VERY PERSUASIVE MAN, ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL……

Initially the committee had decided on a rival design by a Mr W. Hawks, which Brunel contested. He went to the committee with his own plans, which he literally brow beat them into accepting. Quite what Mr hawks reaction to this was is not recorded, nor do we know if he was awarded the 100 guineas as victorious designer of the bridge.

Brunel had actually designed four similar bridges with differing span and abutment arrangements. One that he entitled the "Egyptian thing" was unanimously accepted by the committee.

And so, in a slightly different form, the Clifton suspension Bridge, as it now stands, was born. The "piers" (pillars or towers as you may also read them referred to as) from which the cables hang at either end of the bridge were designed with Egyptian themes and with paired sphinxes mounted on top. Due, presumably to cost considerations, these details failed to materialise on the bridge once built.

To Brunel, this bridge project was the pinnacle of his career "My first child, my darling" he was known to call it. Having won the design competition, the additional prestige of being awarded the position of Civil Engineer to the project, cemented Brunel's lifelong association with Bristol.

His ships, the railway from London, even the design of Temple Meads Station, I.K. Brunel left an ever lasting mark on this city.

A PAINFUL AND PROTRACTED BIRTH

The life of an early Victorian engineer was far from an easy one. Apart from the bridge, Brunel had many other projects all over the country to oversee. He was a remarkable workaholic, sleeping only a few hours per night, and often on the move in his carriage at that. He had to struggle with pioneering techniques involving new materials and a labour force that had no experience in anything that they were doing - almost all of it was virgin territory.

In many cases only Brunels' sheer drive and enthusiasm saw projects through to completion. He battled on, against the odds, taking at times huge personal risks; he was not the kind of man to direct operations from the drawing office. By attending and supervising his sites on a regular basis, he inspired great loyalty in his workforce. He also had an outstanding reputation for never stinting on quality, a characteristic trait that put him in very good stead with the wealthy Bristol merchants.

In 1838 his first Bristol steam built ship, the Great Western, left Bristol bound for New York, five years later the revolutionary, iron hulled Great Britain did the same thing. Neither passed under the bridge - only the foundation stone, laid in August 1837. This was the start of a long, long building period, which at several stages looked in danger of being abandoned altogether.

In 1843, the year that the Great Britain sailed, she would have passed a completed Leigh Woods abutment, complete with pier standing on top; the Clifton pier too was built. The building costs so far had amounted to £45,000. The money had run out!

RAISE £30,000 OR DEMOLISH IT?

Ten years later, in May 1853 time too had run out. The parliamentary Bill had expired and there was no work taking place on the bridge. Several vital parts ordered and stored for bridge erection, principally the chains from which the roadway was to hang, had been sold off, in order to pay debts, for use on other projects. It looked increasingly unlikely that the bridge would ever be completed.

15th SEPTEMBER 1859, 53 YEAR OLD I.K. BRUNEL DIES

Apathy towards the Clifton Suspension Bridge project turned to anger at this news. Bristol's adopted engineer had gone to his grave with his greatest work shamefully abandoned. The powerful (this was the Victorian era!) Institution of Civil Engineers publicly expressed their regret that this great project had not been completed and further suggested that it would make a fitting tribute to their much admired colleague Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

A VICTORIAN RECYCLING PROJECT

In 1862, The Old Hungerford Bridge which crossed the Thames at Charing Cross was being dismantled to make way for a new railway bridge. This too was a suspension bridge, which Brunel had built in 1845. Sir John Hawkshaw, Hungerford's designer, carried out a feasibility study and brought the conclusion to the Clifton trustees, i.e. the chains that had been hanging the London bridge would be perfectly adequate for re-use at Clifton.

At a stroke, the cost of completing the bridge had been slashed. Under Hawkshaw a new bridge company was formed. Decisions to modify Brunel's design were made, primarily the widening of the deck from 24 to 30 ft (7.3m to 9.2m) and a raising of the deck to 245 ft, from 230 ft (75m / 71m) above high tide mark.

In June 1862 work re-started in preparation for the arrival of the Hungerford chains. Mathematical calculations showed that an extra 500 tons of chain would be required, this was put on order. In June 1863 a wire was passed between the two towers, for the first time there was a permanent connection between them.

Huge caverns had been dug under the cliffs on both sides into which the chains and anchorage were sunk into a 20 ft bed of concrete. Once the chains had been linked together the rods from which the deck (or roadway as we would now call it) is suspended could be hung.

After the long drawn out initial stages, completion of the bridge came swiftly.

A VERY GRAND OPENING

On 8th December 1864, the pride and delight of the population of Bristol showed. A long procession started out from Bristol city centre at 10.00am, headed by representatives of five army regiments and the Royal Navy. There were some sixteen bands, both military and civil, accompanying this procession. The route to Clifton was thronged with crowds.

Following the first ceremonial crossing, six field guns fired a salute from the Leigh Woods side, the procession returned to Clifton, where in front of a grandstand many local dignitaries addressed the crowds.

142 YEARS LATER, RICHADA & PARTY CROSS THE BRIDGE

Well, to be honest I have done this before!

My initial associations with The Clifton Suspension Bridge were strictly from a safe distance. I do not like to use the dreaded "a" word, but awesome, in appearance, is what this magnificent structure is. When approaching Bristol, we always take the long way round; M4 / M5 then A4 so as to pass through the Avon Gorge and under the Bridge. However many times I see it, I still get excited as we round the bend and its full span comes into view for the first time.

About ten years ago, whilst on a photographic sortie in Bristol, I plucked up courage to actually step onto the bridge for the first time. Feeling it "spring" as a van passed me was enough, I am not good with heights, add movement as well to a structure like this and I'm gone!

There is a four ton weight limit which is strictly enforced; you have to drive over a weighbridge set in the road at each end before crossing the bridge.

However age and wisdom tell me that my hero did not design this bridge to fall down with me on it. It has stood here for well over a century, and holding my (then) fiancee's hand, I managed to walk the full length of it and back. To this day, Mrs R and I have real affection for this bridge and have visited it many times since, often taking visitors with us.

THE BRIDGE AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION

Being Bristol's most enduring landmark, it is not surprising that to this day, The Clifton suspension Bridge continues to attract hundreds of visitors every day. In engineering terms it is a creation of sheer functional beauty. Look at it from any angle, either end, underneath or above - all actually possible here without resorting to a helicopter - the shape and symmetry are perfect.

As a tourist you probably have little need to actually drive across it, although many locals commute into the city via the bridge each day. Currently by car the toll is 30p, pedestrians and bikes go fee. The charity that run the bridge have requested a toll of 50p per car, this has caused some local outcry and is now the subject of a public enquiry.

For those of you not familiar with this bridge, I can tell you that on a fine day the views from it are stunning. Due to the hill on which Clifton is situated it is not possible to see over the city of Bristol itself, nor the city dock system. You are able however to see the outer dock, Bristol suburbs to the south and the Mendip Hills beyond in the distance. To the north is the best view of the Avon Gorge available from any point.

The bridge crosses not only the River Avon, but also the main A4 and a single track railway on the Leigh Woods side. Obviously the A4 is a busy main road, but to this day there is a surprising amount of river traffic to observe, especially at high tide. At low tide the Avon appears little more than a muddy puddle.

Whilst on this occasion we were not in Bristol in the evening to see the bridge illuminations, on previous visits we have marvelled at the site - the Suspension Bridge really comes alive at night - it has recently had the lighting renewed too. At twilight it takes on an extra romantic aspect. On days of celebration there have been fireworks launched from the bridge, again framed by the illuminated chains there is no more spectacular a setting for such celebrations.

WHO LOOKS AFTER THE BRIDGE?

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is registered as a charitable trust. As such, under the management of thirteen trustees, it employs a Bridge Master, who is on-call 24 hours a day. Under his supervision are a team of toll keepers and four maintenance staff.

Every six months a team of consulting engineers carries out safety checks on the structure of the bridge.

AN ODD STORY OR TWO…….

Obviously with such a long and illustrious history, the Clifton Suspension Bridge (if able to speak) could tell a tale or two.

Bang up to date news is that on 29th August 2006, at 1.50pm, the first recorded birth took place actually on the bridge. A gentleman rushing his wife to hospital, by car, from their home in Portishead, realised that he was not going to make it, when her waters broke as they reached the toll barrier at Leigh Woods. Unable to stop actually on the bridge, the new father carried on driving until clearing the Clifton end, where he stopped. By that time it was all over. The ambulance crew arrived in time for the cord to be cut and to take mother and newborn baby into hospital.

In 1885, an unhappy young lady, Sarah Renley jumped from the bridge in a suicide attempt. Thanks to the fashion of the day, her skirt billowed in the wind acting as a parachute. She had a safe landing in the mud at the side of the river. Apparently Sarah went on to live a happy life, and died at the age of 84 in 1948.

Returning momentarily to that 60p Royal Mail stamp, issued in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Brunel's birth, I wonder how many looked at it closely enough to realise that the bridge shown is NOT the Clifton Suspension bridge, but one of his earlier proposed designs for the site? The Leigh Woods abutment is clearly missing.

The now famous picture of Concorde flying low over the Clifton suspension Bridge was taken on the very last flight of that magnificent aircraft. On Wednesday 26th November 2003 at 12.55pm, the last flying Concorde landed at Filton (near Bristol) to be put on display where all these aircraft were built.

It has been forbidden to fly aircraft UNDER the bridge since 1911, when a Frenchman, M. Tetard pulled such a stunt in one of the very first aeroplanes. In 1957 Flying Officer J.G. Crossley of 501 squadron, based at Filton, flew an RAF Vampire at 450mph beneath the bridge. Having done so, he crashed into the Gorge and was killed in the ensuing explosion.

Looking at the two piers from which the chains are hung, you may notice that the designs are actually quite different. It is not known why this should be, or exactly who decided that they should be.

TOURIST FACILITIES

This is a bridge, a working one at that. Facilities in the broader sense are therefore somewhat limited; there are no toilets, restaurants, cafes or funfairs here. You will however find provided the Samaritans telephone number.

The excellent little museum that used to be in nearby Sion Place in Clifton has now sadly closed. A new, but much smaller, temporary 'Visitor Centre' has very recently opened on top of the Leigh Woods abutment, opposite the toll keeper's office. Regrettably this was closed on our most recent visit. However, the toll keeper handed me a leaflet about guided bridge tours, which are free and start at 3.00pm from the Clifton Toll on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays between 27th May and 10th September. The tour lasts 45 minutes.

Not strictly connected with the Clifton Suspension Bridge - it pre-dates it - is the Observatory, a circular building on top of Clifton Down overlooking the bridge and southern end of the Gorge. This is currently being renovated, but is usually open to the public. The walk up the steep path leading to the Observatory is a rewarding one, as it offers probably the best view of all. There are also large grassy areas in front of the Observatory overlooking the bridge that offer an ideal picnic site.

THE BALD STATISTICS

Height Above High Tide: 245ft (75m)
Span of Chains: 702ft (214m)
Span Between Piers: 627ft (191m)
Height of Piers: 86ft (26.2m)
Width of Deck: 30ft (9.1m)
Weight of Bridge Structure: 1,500 tons
Tested Load Bearing Capability: 7,000 tons
Total Links in Chains: 4,200
Estimated Cost: £52,000
Actual Cost: £100,000+
Building Period: July 1831 to December 1864

HOW TO GET THERE WITHOUT A CAR

From Brunel's Bristol Temple Meads railway station, you can catch a No 8 or 8A bus. They run every few minutes during the day. (Do not take the 9 or 9A in this direction). The 8/8A route travels through the city centre. At the Centre Promenade the bus stop is opposite the Hippodrome theatre, near the 'Sails' structure and statue of Neptune. Get off the 8/8A bus at Clifton Village or Christ Church, Clifton. The Bridge is a short level walk from either of these bus stops. Taxis are always available at BTM and on the Centre Promenade.

CONTACT DETAILS

Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust
Bridgemaster's Office
Leigh Woods
Bristol
BS8 3PA

The visitor centre is open from 10.00am to 5.00pm daily - admission is free, but donations are welcome.

For guided tours (Tel) : 0117 974 4664

General Enquiries (Fax) : 0117 974 5255

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is indeed a fine and permanent tribute to Brunel's genius.
 

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