See how Clifton Suspension Bridge changed between 1860 and 2024. Drag the slider to compare the historic photograph with the modern view.
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## Clifton Suspension Bridge
In 1754, Bristol merchant William Vick bequeathed £1,000 to fund a bridge across the Avon Gorge, envisioning it as a 'great publick utility'. A competition in 1829 to design this bridge was won by 24-year-old Isambard Kingdom Brunel, marking his first major commission. Construction began in 1831 but was halted by the Bristol riots and financial difficulties, leaving only the towers completed by 1843. After Brunel's death in 1859, engineers William Henry Barlow and Sir John Hawkshaw resumed the project, incorporating chains from the demolished Hungerford Bridge in London. The Clifton Suspension Bridge was finally completed and opened in 1864, standing as a testament to Victorian engineering and Brunel's enduring legacy. (visitbristol.co.uk)
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