What a fantastic tour Soroptimist Bristol had yesterday! Ruth organised a pub lunch followed by an underground tour to see the Clifton Suspension Bristol Vaults.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol was built between 1831 and 1864. Construction began on June 21, 1831, under engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but faced long delays and ran out of money. It was finally completed and opened on December 8, 1864, as a memorial to Brunel after his death.
Key dates:
1754: Merchant William Vick left money in his will to build a bridge.
1829: A design competition was held and won by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
1831: Construction started, but stopped soon after due to local riots and money shortages.
1843: Work stopped completely with only the stone towers finished.
1859: Brunel died.
1860–1864: Engineers finished the bridge as a monument to Brunel.
December 8, 1864: The bridge officially opened to the public.
It it was not until 2002 that engineers inspecting the bridge foundations discovered by chance that the bridge abutments were not solid!
Twelve massive chambers, discovered on the Leigh Woods side of the bridge, sit inside the two-storey abutments with ceilings reaching up to 11 metres. Two chambers are open to the public.
After all of Brunel’s plans were lost, the layout of the vaults was forgotten.The vaults had been sealed for over a century when discovered.
The chambers’ ceilings were covered in stalactites several meters long and a few stalagmites have also formed. Rainwater dissolves lime from the mortar and redeposits calcium carbonate, creating hair-thin, hollow stalactites that grow about 4cm per year.
We felt privileged to be able to go down to the vaults and marvel at this important part in the construction of a truly wonderful bridge. It made us proud of living in Bristol.
#SoroptimistBristol #Soroptimists #CliftonSuspensionBridge #Bristol Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI)