Photographs of the Bridges
Conwy Suspension Bridge, Wales
In 1801, the Act of Union created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dramatically increasing the need for improved transport between London and Dublin. The closest English port, directly across the Irish Sea from Dublin, is Holyhead, so the improved route was a roadway, shortly followed by a rail line, connecting Holyhead to Chester. This route, developed in the 1820s, included construction of two early suspension bridges, Menai and Conwy, both designed and constructed by Thomas Telford.
The Conwy Suspension Bridge was completed in 1826. Telford used the proximity of the Conwy Castle, constructed by King Edward I in the 1280s, as inspiration in his design of the stone suspension towers. The bridge is situated so close to the castle that the bridge’s suspension chains are actually anchored into the walls of the castle. In an apparent attempt to make the nineteenth-century bridge fit in with its thirteenth-century neighbor, the stone suspension towers were built as miniature versions of the castle towers, complete with crenulated turrets.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to get good photographs of the profile of the bridge from the side. The suspension bridge was closed to traffic in 1958, and the roadway diverted onto a modern arch bridge. The Conwy Road Bridge is directly adjacent to the suspension bridge, only about 100 feet away on the north side. There is also a railroad bridge, the Conwy Railway Bridge, only about 100 feet away on the south side. While historically important as the only remaining wrought-iron tubular bridge, built in 1849, the railroad bridge is not photogenic. Therefore, photographs showing an unobstructed side view of the old suspension bridge are not possible, and those you can get have the unattractive railroad bridge in the background. You can obtain a good aerial view of the bridge from an overlook area inside the castle which, of course, must be included in your visit. However, photographs taken from inside the castle mostly just show the interesting suspension bridge being squeezed in by its unattractive neighbors.
I have developed a detailed description of the castle, and the adjacent bridges, in my book, Bridgespotting: A Guide to Bridges that Connect People, Places, and Times.
