The Conwy Suspension Bridge is a Grade I-listed structure and is one of the first road suspension bridges in the world. Located in the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

town of

Conwy Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on ...

Conwy county borough Conwy County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is a county borough in Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south, and Denbighshire to the east. Other settlements in the county borough include Abergele, Betws-y-Coed, Colwyn Bay, Conwy ...

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

, it is now only passable on foot. The bridge is now in the care of the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

. It originally carried the A55(T)

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

from Chester to Bangor. Telford's Bridge, Conwy

History

Built by

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...

, the suspension bridge spans the

River Conwy , name_etymology = , image = Boats in River Conwy.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = Boats in the river estuary at Conwy , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pus ...

next to

Conwy Castle Conwy Castle ( cy, Castell Conwy; ) is a fortification in Conwy, located in North Wales. It was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1287. Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conw ...

, a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. The bridge was built in 1822–1826 at a cost of £51,000 () and replaced the ferry at the same point. It is in the same style as one of Telford's other bridges, the

Menai Suspension Bridge The Menai Suspension Bridge ( cy, Pont y Borth, Pont Grog y Borth) is a suspension bridge spanning the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the world's f ...

crossing the Menai Strait. The original wooden deck was replaced by an iron roadway in the late nineteenth century and it was strengthened by adding wire cables above the original iron chains in 1903. The following year a walkway was added for pedestrian traffic. The bridge was superseded by a new road bridge built alongside and closed on 13 December 1958 when Henry Brooke, the Minister of Welsh Affairs, performed the opening ceremony of the new bridge.Conwy Archive Service https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/57120372-07f8-3645-9ae4-0baf52779c15 The suspension bridge is now only used as a footbridge and has been owned by the National Trust since 1965 who make a small charge for entry.

Description

Telford designed the bridge to match the adjacent Conwy Castle. The bridge deck is suspended by four tiers of two chains each (a fifth tier was added later) carried over

castellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

towers that have a central archway over the road with machicolation. The chains are anchored on the east side of the river by a freestone and concrete

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

while those on the western side are anchored to the eastern barbican of the castle and bedrock. Part of the castle had to be demolished during construction to anchor the suspension cables.

Notes

External links

Conwy Suspension Bridge information at the National Trust
{{coord, 53, 17, N, 3, 49, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Bridges completed in 1826 Bridges in Conwy County Borough Buildings and structures in Conwy Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks Suspension bridges in Wales Bridges by Thomas Telford National Trust properties in Wales Tourist attractions in Conwy County Borough Grade I listed bridges in Wales Grade I listed buildings in Conwy County Borough 1826 establishments in Wales

History

Description

See also

Notes

External links