Brunel's chain bridge across the Avon Gorge, hung 75 m above the river at high water and finished in 1864, after his death
Open accessfree to visit at any reasonable time
Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s design for a bridge over the Avon Gorge was chosen in 1831, but riots in Bristol that year and then money troubles stalled the work, and when he died in 1859 only the two stone towers stood. Engineers William Barlow and John Hawkshaw finished the bridge to a revised version of his design in 1864, reusing the chains from Brunel’s Hungerford footbridge in London. The deck hangs 75 m above high water and spans 214 m between the towers. Walking across is free at any time; drivers pay a toll, which pays for the upkeep. The visitor centre at the Leigh Woods end tells the story of the build. The bridge links Clifton with Leigh Woods on the far side of the Avon Gorge, and Clifton Down station is about 1.5 km away.
