Thomas Telford: A Tale of Three Bridges (including Galton Bridge in Smethwick)
Here we take a look at the 18th century engineer Thomas Telford and some of the bridges that he designed. Along the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Main Line, he designed the Galton Bridge in Smethwick. In North Wales two suspension bridges at Conwy and Menai on the road to Holyhead.
The bridge was built in Smethwick on the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Main Line carrying the Roebuck Lane in 1829, and was named after Samuel Galton a member of the Lunar Society. . When it was built, it's single span of 151 feet (46 metres) was the highest in the world. It used to be a road bridge, but it now only carries pedestrians. It is now a Grade I listed building. Smethwick Galton Bridge Station nearby (opened in 1995) was named after it.
This view is seen shortly after getting off a train on the Snow Hill lines from Birmingham on the High Level of Smethwick Galton Bridge Station.
dndimg alt="Galton Bridge from Smethwick Galton Bridge Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Galton Bridge from SGB Station.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Down on the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Main Line (Birmingham Level), this view of the Galton Bridge is towards the Galton Tunnel.
dndimg alt="Galton Bridge Smethwick" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Galton Bridge Smethwick towards Tunnel.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The best views from canal level normally have the 1829 bridge with the 1995 railway station behind it.
dndimg alt="Galton Bridge in Smethwick" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Galton Bridge Smethwick BCN New ML (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Quite an impressive view. But with all of Telford's bridges covered here, railway bridges were later built beside. The station only came when the Jewellery Line opened in 1995. The nearby Smethwick West Station closed in 1996 (platforms are still visible if you are on a train to or from Stourbridge Junction).
dndimg alt="Galton Bridge in Smethwick" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Galton Bridge Smethwick BCN New ML (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
A look at Roebuck Lane both directions on the Galton Bridge in Smethwick.
dndimg alt="Roebuck Lane, Smethwick - Galton Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Galton Bridge Smethwick Roebuck Lane (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
dndimg alt="Roebuck Lane, Smethwick - Galton Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Galton Bridge Smethwick Roebuck Lane (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
It's time to see what Thomas Telford was up to in North Wales. He built two suspension bridges on the A5 road from Chester to Holyhead. It allowed road traffic from 1826 to get from London to Holyhead (on Anglesey) then to get a ferry to Dublin in Ireland.
The problem was crossing the River Conwy in Conwy and the Menai Strait between Gwynedd (near Bangor) and Anglesey (near what is now Menai Bridge Town).
The bridge was built to cross the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, and was built close to Conwy Castle. The bridge designed by Thomas Telford was built from 1822 to 1826. The bridge is 99.5 metres long (326 ft). Road traffic used it from 1826 to 1958 when it was replaced by the nearby Conwy Bridge. A Toll House was at one end where tolls were collected. The bridge was designed to match the castle with castellated towers. It closed to road traffic in 1958, and the National Trust owned it from 1965. The bridge is Grade I listed.
dndimg alt="Conwy Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Conwy Suspension Bridge (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The bridge has been closed to road traffic since 1958, only pedestrians cross it now. Got it to myself at one point during my visit!
dndimg alt="Conwy Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Conwy Suspension Bridge (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The towers were built in a castellated form to match with Conwy Castle.
dndimg alt="Conwy Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Conwy Suspension Bridge (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The Toll House at the other end of the Conwy Suspension Bridge. It has been laid out as if it was 1891 by the National Trust. Vehicles would have to stop here and pay their tolls (usually horse and cart, people with mules, bicylcles etc). By the mid 20th century this caused traffic jams into Conwy, and a new bridge was built and opened nearby in 1958.
dndimg alt="Toll House - Conwy Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Conwy Suspension Bridge (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Alongside Telford's bridge is the 1848 Conwy Tubular Bridge by Robert Stephenson. Also castallated. This view to Conwy Castle.
dndimg alt="Conwy Tubular and Suspension Bridges to the Castle" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Conwy Suspension Bridge (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />It carries the North Wales Coast Line railway, on this section between Llandudno Junction and Conwy Station. Then onto Anglesey via the Britannia Bridge and onto Holyhead.
dndimg alt="Conwy Tubular and Suspension Bridges" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Conwy Suspension Bridge (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The bridge crosses the Menai Strait from the Gwynedd side (close to Bangor) to the Isle of Anglesey (near Menai Bridge Town known in Welsh as Porthaethwy). The bridge spans 176 metres (577 ft). It was completed in 1826 and is still used by road traffic. Construction of the bridge began in 1819. The deck of the bridge was later strengthed in 1840 by W. A. Provis. And the wooden surface replaced by a steel surface in 1893 by Sir Benjamin Baker. In 1999 the bridge was closed for a month to allow for resurfacing and strenghen the structure. There is pedestrian walkways on both sides of the bridge. Buses both single and double decker are able to cross the bridge, but have to slow down under the arched towers.
dndimg alt="Menai Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Menai Suspension Bridge (May 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Crossing the bridge towards Anglesey. It's on the A5 to Holyhead. But you can also use the A55 North Wales Expressway over the Britannia Bridge instead (faster).
dndimg alt="Crossing the Menai Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Menai Suspension Bridge (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The bridge is ok for small buses like this one.
dndimg alt="Bus on the Menai Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Menai Suspension Bridge (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Bigger buses, single or double deckers normally struggle when they head under the towers.
dndimg alt="Cyclist and a bus on the Menai Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Menai Suspension Bridge (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Some buses go to the nearby City of Bangor (to the right of this location)
dndimg alt="Bus to Bangor on the Menai Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Menai Suspension Bridge (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
It's a long way down to the Menai Strait. Walking on either side of the bridge, you certainly feel a bit of vertigo. Best to not be scared of heights.
dndimg alt="Menai Strait and the Menai Suspension Bridge" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Menai Suspension Bridge (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
All photos taken by Elliott Brown