There is history in every piece

In the city of Bristol, England there stands a wonderful bridge. It is the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and it spans the Avon Gorge at the height of 101M, with a span, (between the pylons), of 214M. The bridge was designed and built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, working from an earlier design produced by William Barlow, modified by Brunel to suit the conditions. Unfortunately, Brunel died before the bridge was completed, so he never had the pleasure of seeing this one, of his many masterpieces.

Brunel was undoubtedly one of, if not the, greatest engineers of his time. He is world famous not only for his Clifton accomplishment but also for building the railway line from London to Bristol, design and construction of several ocean-going ships – the most well-known being the “Great Britain”, which has been reconstructed and is on display in a dry dock in the heart of its home port – Bristol and many other well-known feats of engineering.

To return to the Suspension Bridge, it was originally built to join Clifton on the city side, to Leigh Woods on the Somerset side of the Gorge, saving travellers a diversion on some 20 kilometres. When originally opened it was a rather isolated structure, but whether because of the Bridge or not, the area near to it soon became one of the parts of the city set aside for rich folk. Their status can still be seen today, all over Clifton, in the quality and size of the houses there, though many of them have now been converted into flats because very few people require a five-storey home to live in today.

The Bridge does have one rather unfortunate claim to fame – it is well known as a “Suicide Bridge”, a title borne out by the fact that between 1974 and 1993, 127 people decided to end their lives by leaping to their deaths, all of them succeeding! One notable failure in an attempt to end her life was Sarah Anne Henley, who ‘had a go’ in 1885. She was wearing a then-fashionable crinoline at the time, and being full and supported by hoops, it acted as a parachute, and she landed safely in the mud below. She must have learned her lesson on that fateful day because she never made another attempt to end her life and eventually died at the ripe old age of 84. The number of suicides was radically reduced when the authorities decided to build a high barrier along each side which reduced the death count from an average of 8 a year to a much more acceptable 4, though I suppose even that is four too many.

An opposite and unfortunate adventure overtook Flying Officer John Greenwood from 501 Squadron based at Filton when in a moment of foolish exuberance in 1957, he decided to fly under the Bridge, while performing a ‘Victory Roll’. This turned out to be a very bad idea, because he lost control of his aircraft and crashed into one of the massive cliffs that line the Gorge, wrecking the plane, killing him instantly and closing a railway line there for several days.

The Gorge itself is said to have been cut through a ridge of solid rock, mainly sandstone, over millions of years by the River Avon, taking an easier route than that offered to the south, which presented an even mightier barrier than the area where the Gorge now stands. It is a popular and well-known attraction for the people of Bristol, as well as visitors from all over the world, with many natural viewing sites available all the way along the Gorge. It is also well known as a valuable source of fossils and is visited by many archaeologists, for the information it offers.

If you’re ever in Bristol, I thoroughly recommend a visit to both the Bridge and the Gorge – you won’t be disappointed!

Have you seen this historic bridge?  What were your thoughts?

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