A Lasting Legacy
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Brunel’s work continued after his death, when other engineers completed his unbuilt suspension bridge over the Avon Gorge. The image on this page shows the 2006 stamp of this elegant bridge design.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge was designed by Brunel in 1831, at the beginning of his independent engineering career. He referred to it as “my first love, my darling”.
A Bristol merchant, William Vick, left a bequest in his 1754 will for a bridge to be built. A design competition was eventually organised in 1829, once interest in Vick's bequest had increased. A design by Thomas Telford was rejected as too expensive. Brunel won a second competition and work began in 1831.
There was still not enough funding, and only the towers were built when the project was abandoned in 1843. Ironwork from Clifton was sold and became part of Brunel's bridge at Saltash.
The Clifton bridge was completed by the Institute of Civil Engineers as Brunel’s memorial. It finally opened in 1864. Although designed for light horse-drawn traffic over 11,000 cars now journey across it everyday.
A true engineering genius, Brunel also had great powers of persuasion and a flair for showmanship. He thought big, built bigger, and as Jeremy Clarkson has said, Brunel was “simply audacious, brave and brilliant”. His lasting legacy was to shape the world in which we live.
This final image is a stamp that commemorates Brunel's work in 'linking the nation'. It shows Paddington station, the Royal Albert Bridge, Box Tunnel and the Great Britain.
Brunel Speeding the Mail - on tour
This online exhibition was created from a graphic panel display, which will tour Brunel's 'empire' in the South West of England during 2006. This is part of the Brunel 200 celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the great engineer's birth.
You can find out if the exhibition will be appearing near you on the BPMA Event Map.
The physical exhibition 'Brunel Speeding the Mail' is available to other venues