Clifton Suspension Bridge
Dr Jonathan Foyle scales Britain's iconic structures to reveal their secrets. He explores Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
Dr Jonathan Foyle, architectural historian and novice climber, scales Britain's most iconic structures to reveal the buildings' secrets and tell the story of how our architecture and construction have developed over 1,000 years.
The next step of Jonathan's journey takes him to the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. Begun in 1835 by the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel when he was only 24 years old, it is one of the greatest feats of Victorian engineering in the world.
With unprecedented access to the bridge, aided by champion climber Lucy Creamer, Jonathan scales all over to the bridge to investigate the innovations and techniques used to build this incredible structure inspired by Β£1000 from a wine importer.
Jonathan climbs over 300 feet to investigate the revolutionary design and perches atop the massive chains that make it all possible. He descends 35 feet to discover Brunel's secret chambers in the towers that remained undiscovered until 2002, and he hangs exposed 245 feet above the river Avon to reveal the Victorian engineering which prevents disaster by expanding and contracting, just as Brunel devised.
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Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Jonathan Foyle |
Participant | Lucy Creamer |
Camera Operator | Ian Burton |
Director | Emma Gray |
Series Producer | Adam Barry |
Executive Producer | Emma Read |
Broadcasts
- Mon 20 Sep 2010 18:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD & Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two
- Wed 22 Dec 2010 09:15
- Tue 8 Feb 2011 02:55Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One except Scotland
- Thu 3 Mar 2011 18:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Mon 22 Aug 2011 18:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Thu 22 Sep 2011 18:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Mon 23 Jan 2012 19:30
- Tue 17 Jul 2012 13:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Wales
- Tue 17 Jul 2012 14:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Wales
- Fri 29 Aug 2014 12:30
- Mon 18 Sep 2023 19:30
- Tue 19 Sep 2023 01:45