English Bridges

[mcgillianaire]

Three years ago we made a family trip to Bristol and Bath. I came up with this bright idea to take photos of every bridge I saw enroute. This is a summary of what I came up with. Enjoy! (As per usual, click to see a bigger version)


Pulteney Bridge in Bath was designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam and completed in 1773. It is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides!


Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1864. This picture doesn't do justice to the 214m long, 1500 ton beauty, but believe me, it's one of the modern wonders of the industrial world.




Chalfont Viaduct (pdf) on the M25 motorway near Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire is 105 years old and carries part of the Great Western & Great Central Joint Railway. A rare architectural gem on the London Orbital.


Another variant of an arched bridge along the M4 motorway but this one's strictly for motorists. Arches are beautiful, particularly when they evoke images of Ancient Rome, as with the Chalfont Viaduct above.


Not quite Spaghetti Junction but it's the nearest equivalent to where I live. I believe this is where the M1 motorway crosses over the M25.


The remaining bridges are not as interesting as the ones above but I've included them because they serve the same purpose, yet differ from all the others in style. This road bridge was taken somewhere along the M4.


Unfortunately, unless some form of arches are incorporated into the bridge design, concrete structures are simply boring to look at. This was also taken somewhere along the M4.


And another concrete bridge along the M4.


What's this? An unfinished bridge along the M4. It had a concrete base but the triangles along its path offered promise when completed.


Another concrete road bridge as we neared Bristol.


And finally a concreted footbridge within Bristol city limits. The subtle arched shape lifts an eyelid but nothing more. I hope you were enlightened by this post!

Comments

[loganberrybunny.livejournal.com]

I somehow think the first two were placed outside the cut for a reason! As you (and I!) have found, it's remarkably hard to get a really good photo of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. But I agree with you; it really is stunning. In fact, it's the example I tend to reach for if someone asks whether a manmade structure can ever enhance the natural environment.

[mcgillianaire.livejournal.com]

Most certainly! If I'd placed any of the other bridges outside the cut (with the possible exception of the Chalfont Viaduct), hardly anybody would've click on the LJ-cut!

The problem with the Clifton Bridge is that you're surrounded by cliffs, so it's a lot more difficult to get a side angle view of it from close by. Although I think in one of my pictures there's something that looks like a vantage point nearby to solve that problem. Unfortunately we didn't spent much time in Bristol so we kind of took a few photos, whizzed through the Bridge Museum and spent the rest of the day in Bath!

And yes, it definitely enhances the natural environment around it!

[loganberrybunny.livejournal.com]

I suspect the vantage point you noticed was somewhere in the vicinity of the Observatory, on the city side of the gorge. I took this photo of the bridge from that area in July.

[mcgillianaire.livejournal.com]

Yes, that seems about right.