2024

THREE PARALLEL BRIDGES

Works of art to see

In the shadow of the castle, no fewer than three bridges span the estuary of the River Conwy and are well worth a visit.

The first is the Conwy Suspension Bridge. This is the oldest suspension bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford, a Scottish architect and civil engineer who built many bridges and roads throughout the UK. Its suspension is made of wrought-iron chains, crossing the River Conwy. It is one of the world's first road suspension bridges. Its purpose was to provide a route for stagecoaches on their way to Holyhead. Telford's idea was also to harmonize the towers supporting the bridge with those of the nearby castle!

You can walk on this elegant footbridge, now reserved for pedestrians, which is part of Britain's cultural heritage due to its complex structure and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Conwy Railway Bridge. The second is the covered tube bridge, built in 1848 and reserved for trains on the Llandudno-Bangor line. Another monument to the industrial revolution, this railway bridge was built by a certain Robert Stephenson, the originator of the steam train.

Modern Conwy Bridge. Modern road bridge carrying the A547, used from 1958 to relieve traffic congestion.

Most impressive of all is the fact that there is a fourth road into Conwy. But this one's underground, submerged beneath the river!

These three bridges make for a pleasant stroll along the River Conwy!

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