Across the Menai Straits

Today's the day .......................... to build a bridge

This is a view looking across the Menai Straits from the island of Anglesey to the mainland of Wales.

You can see the graceful suspension bridge that joins the two designed by the ingenious engineer Thomas Telford and completed in 1826.  Before then the island had no fixed connection to the mainland and all movements to and from Anglesey were by ferry across the fast flowing and dangerous waters of the Menai Straits.

As the main source of income on Anglesey was from the sale of cattle to the markets of the mainland and even further south to London, the animals had to be driven into the water and encouraged to swim across, a dangerous practice which often resulted in loss of valuable life.

Because of the high banks and fast flowing waters of the Strait, it would have been difficult to build piers on the shifting sands of the sea bed.  Also, any bridge would have to be high enough to allow the passage of the tall ships of the day. In view of this, Telford proposed that a suspension bridge should be built. 

His recommendation was accepted by Parliament and the bridge duly built.............................