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Lost Brunel Bridge Found - inside another bridge

Started by butnut, March 04, 2004, 10:38:26 AM

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butnut

This is weird - and quite interesting. From la gaurdiana today

QuoteSwallowed for a century: Brunel's iron bridge is found buried in brick

Maev Kennedy, arts and heritage correspondent
Thursday March 4, 2004
The Guardian

The first iron bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a lost treasure from one of the towering geniuses of the heroic age of British engineering, has been rediscovered hidden inside a much later bridge in London.

Brunel's bridge is in astounding condition, given that it has been buried in brickwork for almost a century at one of the most notorious traffic bottlenecks in the capital, Bishop's Road bridge in Paddington.

The bridge, unique in the world and a typically inspired Brunel design, was built in 1838 without bolts but locking together like a jigsaw. It has lost only its decorative railings.

It was discovered by an English Heritage expert, Steven Brindle, working on Brunel's notebooks for his epic Great Western Railway project. These gave details of load testing on cast iron beams for a canal bridge at Paddington.

The whole scheme was intended to take passengers from London to New York, starting on the fastest railway in the world, through stations designed by Brunel, crossing rivers and gorges by bridges he designed, to his steamship waiting in his own dock at Bristol.

Like most of Brunel's designs it was endlessly delayed and bitterly argued over, and much of it was a financial dis aster - but it was one of the wonders of the 19th century world, and the whole line has now been proposed as a world heritage site.

Mr Brindle found when he visited the Paddington site that not only did the entire bridge survive - a contract for its demolition was on the point of being signed.

The area around Paddington station is now a forest of cranes and half-built towers, one of the largest development sites in the country.

Before Mr Brindle's discovery nobody had an inkling that the scruffy brick Edwardian bridge, which swallowed Brunel's creation in 1906, had the slightest importance.

Westminster council stopped work while plans were drawn up to dismantle and store Brunel's work. It is hoped that the bridge will be reconstructed, possibly over an arm of the canal near its original site, in time for the bicentenary of the engineer's birth in 2006.

Mr Flunchy

I'm honestly fascinated by this sort of thing.  History hiding all around us and so on..

elderford

Shame to see the thread disappearing off of the board.

Thanks Butnut.

Here's my favourite photo of Brunel, look at the chains, look how big they are!

Victorians, big stuff, cast iron, , pink empire, zulus, oh happy days.



Bilko

Didn't he die shortly, in terms of minutes, after that photo was taken?

Iron Men on Channel 4 was a brilliant programme. Told us more about Brunel then Clarkson programme did.

butnut

That's a great photo isn't it? I remember looking at that when I was small, and just being amazed at the sheer size of those chains.

And this thing with the bridge is always happening in London. I'm currently reading Peter Ackroyd's wonderful 'London: A biography' and it's one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. It really changes how you view London when you walk around there. I had no idea there used to be so many other rivers in London, most of which are now underground and part of the sewer system. And where the Old Bailey now stands, there once was the notorious Newgate Prison. And there used to be public executions where the centrepoint building (on the corner of Tottenham Court Road) is now.

Ah, I could go on all day about this. Has any one else read this, or equally fascinating history books?

Mr Flunchy

Quote from: "elderford"Shame to see the thread disappearing off of the board.

Thanks Butnut.

Here's my favourite photo of Brunel, look at the chains, look how big they are!

Victorians, big stuff, cast iron, , pink empire, zulus, oh happy days.



That photo was taken in my home town, Pontypridd, at the old chainworks.

king mob

Check this out if you want more about Brunel


I love Brunel's structures & am very happy living near one of his finest creations.



Frinky

I agree, this is top stuff, I meant to reply sooner but I was having a bath :)

I can't wait to see the bridge uncovered, it'd be fantastic if they did manage to properly install it.

Then Men of Iron program was hugely fascinating, wasn't it? Is it still on? I had a powercut for the second Brunel and then I've been out since, so I never saw it.

king mob

Quote from: "butnut"And this thing with the bridge is always happening in London. I'm currently reading Peter Ackroyd's wonderful 'London: A biography' and it's one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. It really changes how you view London when you walk around there. I had no idea there used to be so many other rivers in London, most of which are now underground and part of the sewer system. And where the Old Bailey now stands, there once was the notorious Newgate Prison. And there used to be public executions where the centrepoint building (on the corner of Tottenham Court Road) is now.

Ah, I could go on all day about this. Has any one else read this, or equally fascinating history books?

Read Ackroyd's Hawksmoor, you'll enjoy it.

Click

Bilko

Quote from: "Frinky"Then Men of Iron program was hugely fascinating, wasn't it? Is it still on? I had a powercut for the second Brunel and then I've been out since, so I never saw it.

No it's finished, was in three parts

butnut

Quote from: "king mob"Read Ackroyd's Hawksmoor, you'll enjoy it.

Click

I'm going to! I heard that bookclub programme, and it sounded fascinating. It was that that made me buy the biography of London. It think Hawksmoor is next on my reading list.

king mob

Quote from: "butnut"
Quote from: "king mob"Read Ackroyd's Hawksmoor, you'll enjoy it.

Click

I'm going to! I heard that bookclub programme, and it sounded fascinating. It was that that made me buy the biography of London. It think Hawksmoor is next on my reading list.

it also heavily influence Alan Moore when he was writing From Hell so it may be worth your while getting a copy of that as well.

butnut

Quote from: "king mob"
it also heavily influence Alan Moore when he was writing From Hell so it may be worth your while getting a copy of that as well.

A friend of mine told me that was really good too. I thought the film was alright, but imagine the book is far better.

This is going to start getting expensive. I've already bought several DVDs on the recommendations of you lot.

Bilko

fuck it the link doesn't work

I posted a link on here that dosen't work directly

sore bottom mum

Great thread, I love anything London history related. My favorite place in London is Gordon's Wine Bar, just outside Embankment tube. You walk in and feel like you've been transported back a few centuries, with the arched cavern-like low ceilings showing the original brick-work and old yellowed newspapers on the walls. Samuel Pepys apparently lived there in 1680's. It's also quite anonymous from the outside, so it lacks the brightly attired central London tourist crowd. It's great!

butnut

Quote from: "sore bottom mum"Great thread, I love anything London history related. My favorite place in London is Gordon's Wine Bar, just outside Embankment tube. You walk in and feel like you've been transported back a few centuries, with the arched cavern-like low ceilings showing the original brick-work and old yellowed newspapers on the walls. Samuel Pepys apparently lived there in 1680's. It's also quite anonymous from the outside, so it lacks the brightly attired central London tourist crowd. It's great!

Which side of Embankment Tube? Is it one of those ones under Charing Cross Station? I've been to the pubs there - well, it's like one pub but separated by the alley.

sore bottom mum

It's on Villiers St. As you come out of Embankment Station (towards Charring Cross) is on the right,  just past the entrance to that parky area. Great on a Sunday!

butnut

Oh yes - I know the one. I've never been in there - but maybe I will one day. Maybe have the next London meet there?