Brunel's Bristol: Clifton Bridge & SS Great Britain Tours
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was twenty-four when he won the competition to bridge the Avon Gorge, and Bristol still belongs to him. The Clifton Suspension Bridge spans 214 metres, 75 metres above the water, and opened in 1864 — five years after he died. The SS Great Britain, the first iron-hulled, propeller-driven ocean liner, launched here in 1843 and sits today in the very dry dock where she was built.
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Brunel's Bristol in Bristol — FAQ
Can you walk across the Clifton Suspension Bridge?
Yes, and it is free on foot. The bridge crosses the Avon Gorge 75 metres up, with a small visitor centre on the Leigh Woods side explaining how Brunel built it. Cars pay a toll; pedestrians and cyclists do not.
Is the SS Great Britain worth visiting?
Yes — she is the ship that invented the modern liner, and the dry dock is glassed over and drained so you can walk under the hull. Tickets cost around £22 and stay valid for a year.
What else did Brunel build in Bristol?
Temple Meads, the original 1840 terminus of the Great Western Railway, still stands beside the modern station — the oldest surviving grand railway terminus in the world. Guided walks link it with the bridge and the ship.