The iconic Menai Straits Bridge which carries the A5 across to Anglesey was the inspiration of renown civil engineer Thomas Telford, whose 250th year was celebrated in 2008. For its day the engineering challenge facing Telford and his team was significant, and needed a bold and innovative design to reach across what are very tidal waters between island and mainland. If you come to North Wales this Menai Suspension Bridge is a key attraction to experience for all.
A step back in time suggests that Menai Bridge may have been a small Roman settlement and at this point of the Menai Straits there was a ferry crossing, as it is where the island and mainland are nearest. Further north monks, visiting the Augustinian Priory at Penmon a few centuries ago, would cross the Lavan sands north west of Bangor at low tide, and made for the shore at Llanfaes, north of Beaumaris.
Many will ask how Thomas Telford came to build this Menai Straits Bridge, an example of real engineering innovation for its time in the early nineteenth century. After Britain and Ireland moved closer under the Act of Union in 1800, there was pressure for much improved transport links and connecting the mainland to Anglesey was a major consideration.
The story of the famous composer Handel trying to get to Dublin in 1742 suggests how difficult it was to travel between England and Ireland. As if it was not enough to get through the Snowdon Mountains, the traveller still had to negotiate crossing the Menai Straits and then sail from Holyhead to Dublin.
A bridge crossing to Anglesey island was the key improvement in the London Dublin transport link, with a ferry from the port of Holyhead already in service. Building work began across the Menai Straits in 1819 after much political negotiation and pressure. The two huge towers which you see are a key feature of the bridge and they are made from limestone from the nearby island quarry. Sixteen wrought iron chain cables supported the bridge across the 175 metre gap, but they were replaced with steel cables before World War Two.
When you consider that a coach journey from London to Holyhead took around 36 hours before 1826, it shows how travel has been transformed since before the bridge was built. Following completion of the Menai Suspension Bridge the journey time was reduced to 27 hours. While a journey by car today from London to Holyhead can take around 6 to 7 hours, showing the benefits of Telford’s Menai Straits Bridge, the internal combustion engine and modern motorways.
Arriving on Anglesey witness some beautiful coastal and woodland scenes from this iconic bridge across Menai Straits, and nearby some well signposted coastal paths with fairly easy access. Cast your eyes northwards from the bridge and you will see Menai Bridge harbour with small yachts and motor craft moored nearby. These are strong tidal waters and you may see a yacht passing below the bridge, making its way for Beaumaris and then Puffin Island.
As you stand on the bridge looking south west, see how the strong Menai Straits currents flow towards the dual rail and road Britannia Bridge and on past Caernarfon Castle to the open sea. Off the Anglesey Coastline to the south is a small island, Ynys Gorad Goch, while on the shoreline a Statue of Admiral Nelson stands, and nearby is the former Indefatigable Sailing School. You can indulge your senses in all these experiences from the high vantage point of this enigmatic Menai Straits Bridge.
The author, David Phillips, writes from magical Anglesey, North Wales, and manages a helpful local website about the island. Discover more about Menai Straits Bridge, the unique 19th century road bridge attraction.
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