Clifton Suspension Bridge

The Clifton Suspension Bridge opened in 1864 and spans the Avon Gorge and River Avon linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset. The toll is 1 pound and the income provides funds for the bridge’s maintenance. The bridge is built to a design by William Henry Barlow and John Hawkshaw, based on an earlier design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is a grade I listed building.

The idea of building a bridge across the Avon Gorge originated in 1753. Original plans were for a stone bridge and later iterations were for a wrought iron structure. The three independent wrought iron chains on each side came from the Hungerford Suspension Bridge across the Thames, which was demolished in 1860.