142-684: The Portishead Railway is a branch line railway running from Portishead in North Somerset to the main line immediately west of Bristol , England. It was constructed by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway Company, but it was always operated by its main line neighbour, and was more usually thought of as the Portishead branch or the Portishead railway . It opened as a broad gauge ( 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in [ 2,140 mm ]) line to connect new docks at Portbury, at
284-471: A biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest , for ornithological, entomological and stratigraphic interest, notification originally having taken place in 1971. Several sites in the valley are managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust as nature reserves. These include Weston Big Wood , Clapton Moor , Weston Moor and Walton Common . The name Gordano comes from Old English and
426-588: A 350 ft (110 m) high stack. A second 350 ft (110 m) stack was added when the power station was expanded in 1948. Construction of Portishead "B" power station began in 1949; it became operational in 1955. The power stations became part of the nationalised electricity industry after 1949, and were operated in turn by the British Electricity Authority , the Central Electricity Authority and
568-454: A branch to Portishead. The company would be the Bristol & Portishead Pier & Railway Company. The main line would have curved sharply to the north before reaching Portished, and run directly to a northwards pier on the coast somewhat east of the present Portbury Wharf location. The branch was to continue directly west from a junction near Sheepway Gate Farm to the Portishead station. This scheme easily got its authorising act of Parliament ,
710-617: A constraint on development, particularly as larger vessels came into use. A number of schemes were put forward without success, but in 1846 the Portbury Pier and Railway Company obtained authority in the Portbury Pier and Railway Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. cccxliv) to build a floating pier near Portbury , on the west side of the Avon near its mouth, and a railway to connect it to Bristol. Isambard Kingdom Brunel had proposed
852-420: A final selection from the five remaining entries. Telford rejected all the remaining designs, arguing that 577 feet (176 m) was the maximum possible span. Telford was then asked to produce a design himself, which he did, proposing a 110-foot-wide (34 m) suspension bridge, supported on tall Gothic towers, costing £52,000. The Bridge Committee which had been set up to look at the designs sponsored
994-548: A footpath leads up to the Leigh Woods suburb of Bristol; the site of the halt is then followed by No. 2 Tunnel. There were several small quarries adjacent to the line as far as Sandstone Tunnel. There was then a crossing loop at Oakwood, approximately opposite Sea Mills. The line then swings away westwards to Ham Green Halt, opened in 1926 to serve a hospital. The longer Pill tunnel was next, followed by Pill viaduct and passenger station, and then Portbury Shipyard station;
1136-577: A full business case. In November 2019, North Somerset Council submitted a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate , which sought powers to build and operate the disused section of railway from Portishead to Pill, gain environmental consent to undertake works to the existing freight railway through the Avon Gorge, and obtain powers for the compulsory acquisition of land. The Secretary of State for Transport
1278-536: A new location, lasting only a decade before the line stopped carrying passengers. The original line towards Portishead is severed just north of Pill, where the line to the Royal Portbury Dock leads off to the north, crossing the adjoining cycle path on a low concrete bridge. No points have been installed to create a junction with the former line onwards to Portishead, although the derelict track remains in situ from here towards Portishead, passing under
1420-415: A new store, soon followed by Lidl , Travelodge and Subway . All of these new stores have now been built. More retailers moved into the area in 2015, such as Wetherspoons , Costa Coffee , Aldi (to occupy the former Co-op premises), Majestic Wine and Home Bargains . Court House Farmhouse dates from the medieval period but was remodelled in the 17th and 19th centuries. The Grade II* listed building
1562-512: A railway on the eastern side of the Avon at " Clifton " (actually Hotwells ), to a new dock at Avonmouth. This line opened in March 1865. Those who favoured a port on the western side of the Avon were not deterred by the progress of the alternative, and formulated a scheme for a dock at Portbury, and a railway to serve it running from a junction with the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER), with
SECTION 10
#17327765306291704-447: A royal manor it expanded rapidly during the early 19th century around the docks, with supporting transport infrastructure. A power station and chemical works were added in the 20th century, but the dock and industrial facilities have since closed and have been redeveloped into a marina and residential areas. Portishead was also the telephone control centre used by British Telecom (BT) for non-direct dialled calls to maritime vessels,
1846-472: A service known as Portishead Radio . The headquarters of both Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Avon Fire and Rescue Service are in Portishead. Portishead Lifeboat Station is situated close to the marina. Run solely by local Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteers, it serves the waters of the Severn estuary and inland waterways into the city of Bristol . The name Portishead derives from
1988-585: A substantial increase in the estimated costs of Phase 1, owing to the work required to upgrade the line in the Avon Gorge to achieve the line speeds required for a half-hourly service, and to reroute road traffic away from a level crossing in Ashton Vale . In order to reduce the cost from an estimated £145 million to £116M, the Joint Transport Board agreed to downsize the project to provide an hourly service to Portishead. A January 2019 report by
2130-467: A two-storey house and then, in 1908, incorporated into a golf club house. The building has since been converted into a pub. A small, disused, black village pump remains in Portishead with a strapped down handle. The 9-metre (30 ft) high Portishead Point Lighthouse was built at Battery Point in March 1931 by the Chance Brothers of Smethwick . The lighthouse is currently maintained by
2272-474: Is 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east and Portishead is approximately 110 miles (180 km) west of London . On clear days, Wales can be seen across the Severn Estuary from the town. The Eastwood area has been designated as a local nature reserve . It consists broadleaf woodland on a coastal limestone ridge which leads to Battery Point which had a defensive gun position and Portishead Point Lighthouse
2414-556: Is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon , linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset . Since opening in 1864, it has been a toll bridge , the income from which provides funds for its maintenance. The bridge is built to a design by William Henry Barlow and John Hawkshaw , based on an earlier design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . It is a Grade I listed building and forms part of
2556-528: Is a town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary authority area, in the county of Somerset , England . With a population of 26,366 at the 2021 Census, the town is located on the Severn Estuary opposite Cardiff and Newport in Wales . The town is 8 miles (13 km) to the west of Bristol and 18 miles northeast of Weston-super-Mare . Portishead has a long history as a fishing port. As
2698-455: Is descriptive of the triangular shape of the whole valley from Clevedon to Portishead, being the ablative singular of the Latinised form of Gorden meaning muddy valley . Denny Island is a small rocky island of 0.6 acres (0.2 ha), with scrub vegetation, approximately three miles north of Portishead. Its rocky southern foreshore marks the boundary between England and Wales , but
2840-587: Is on the promontory. There is also geological interest in the fossils, folds and faults found in the area. The area immediately inland includes the Gordano Valley , which has been designated as a national nature reserve . The valley runs roughly north-east to south-west, between Carboniferous limestone ridges extending along the coastline between Clevedon and Portishead, and another ridge extending between Clevedon and Easton in Gordano . The area includes
2982-466: Is owned by Bristol City Council and in 2010 protests from local residents attempted to stop its sale. The red brick National Nautical School was built by Edward Gabriel in 1905, at a cost of £30,000. Previously it had been based on the training ship HMS Formidable and operated until 1983. It is now part of a private gated community known as Fedden Village. The remains of a former windmill, built in 1832 but disused since 1846, were rebuilt into
SECTION 20
#17327765306293124-409: Is provided by Avon and Somerset Constabulary . Avon Fire and Rescue Service has a fire station in Portishead staffed by retained firefighters, equipped with two water tenders each holding 1,800 litres. The South Western Ambulance Service has responsibility for the area. Portishead was an ancient parish . Until 1892 it was governed by its vestry . In 1892 the more built-up part of the parish
3266-569: Is the town's main park. Adjacent to the beach and esplanade is a 100-year-old artificial lake, and a cricket pitch surrounded by sloping lawns interspersed with specimen trees. One of the UK's few surviving outdoor swimming pools is situated on the shore next to the lake grounds and is open during the summer months. In 2009, the outdoor pool was renovated by a team filming for the American TV programme Ty Pennington's Great British Adventure . Above
3408-459: Is well known as a suicide bridge and is fitted with plaques that advertise the telephone number of Samaritans . Between 1974 and 1993, 127 people fell to their deaths from the bridge. In 1998 suicide barriers were installed on the bridge to prevent people jumping. In the four years after installation this reduced the suicide rate from eight deaths per year to four. Nicolette Powell , the wife of UK rhythm and blues singer Georgie Fame , formerly
3550-664: The Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Act 1863 ( 26 & 27 Vict. c. cvii), on 29 June 1863, with a capital of £300,000 and borrowing powers of £66,600. Work progressed swiftly, and a portion may have been opened in early 1865 from Rownham near Clifton Bridge to the junction with the B&;ER main line near the Telegraph Inn in Bedminster . A number of changes were made to the intended route as work progressed, and
3692-436: The 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (15.3 km) single line opened, constructed on the broad gauge ( 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in [ 2,140 mm ]). There were four tunnels, respectively 59, 232, 88 and 665 yards (54, 212, 80 and 608 m) in length. The stations on the line were Clifton Bridge , Pill , Portbury and Portishead . The emphasis now was on passenger and ordinary goods traffic, and
3834-575: The Avonmouth Bridge . There is no river Gordano – much of the valley is reclaimed land barely above sea level, drained by ditches (known locally as " rhynes "). The rhynes previously managed by the now amalgamated Gordano Valley Internal Drainage Board are now the responsibility of the North Somerset Internal Drainage Board. An area comprising a total of 400 acres (160 ha) has been designated as
3976-469: The Azores High extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK. Cloud often forms inland, especially near hills, and reduces exposure to sunshine. The average annual sunshine is about 1,600 hours. Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds and a large proportion of
4118-630: The Bristol Port Company. Black Nore Lighthouse was built in 1894, and was electrified in World War II . In October 2011, after it was no longer needed for navigational purposes, it was sold to a trust for preservation at a cost of £1. The Royal Hotel in the area of Woodhill was designed and built to serve Brunel 's railway line which finished a few steps away from the Hotel. The original building survives as The Royal Inn pub. It
4260-600: The Bristol Channel 's large tidal range, and iron rings can be seen in the high street at which fishing boats used to moor. Its position meant Portishead was used to guard the "King Road", as the waters around the headland are called. In 1497 it was the departure point for John Cabot on the Matthew . A fort was built on Battery Point, and was used during the English Civil War when the town supported
4402-780: The CEGB . They used some local coal produced in the Somerset coalfield , which was delivered by train along the Portishead branch of the Great Western Railway (GWR). The line had opened on 12 April 1867 as the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Company; it opened to the dock on 5 July 1879. The main supply of coal was imported by boat from Newport and Ely in South Wales ; it was carried by Osborn & Wallis of Bristol. Portishead had two passenger stations on
Portishead Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
4544-517: The Campaign for Better Transport listed the line as a "priority 1" candidate for reopening. In April 2019, £31 million of funding was promised by Chris Grayling , Secretary of State for Transport . The Department for Transport's Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline , published in October 2019, listed the project among those in development, awaiting a "Decision to Deliver" and the completion of
4686-553: The GWR's Portishead branch line . The main station was near the centre of the village of Portishead, as it was then; the other was at the pier. The construction of Portishead "B" power station caused the original railway station to be demolished and a replacement station was opened in the High Street on 2 January 1954. The new station closed on 7 September 1964. The majority of the line was reopened in 2002, to transport goods from
4828-501: The M5 motorway via a bridge that was constructed with sufficient clearance to allow for electrification. The railway alignment has been safeguarded by local planning policies, and when the site of Portishead station was redeveloped as a Waitrose supermarket, a nearby site was safeguarded for a potential new station. The alignment is breached on the southern approach to Portishead by Quays Avenue, constructed to serve housing development around
4970-546: The Marchioness of Londonderry , jumped to her death from the bridge on 13 August 1993. In 1957 a RAF Filton -based RAF Vampire jet from 501 Squadron piloted by Flying officer John Greenwood Crossley flew under the deck while performing a victory roll before crashing in Leigh Woods , killing the pilot. The accident caused a landslip that led to the temporary closure of the nearby Portishead Railway . A helicopter from National Police Air Service Filton flew under
5112-689: The Norman conquest the manor was held by the Bishop of Coutances and later reverted to the Crown, after which William II gave it to a merchant from Bristol known as Harding and then to his son Robert Fitzharding , who became Lord of Berkeley . The Berkeley family held it for generations until it passed by marriage to the Cokes of Holkham in Norfolk . In the 14th century it belonged to Everard le Frenshe. In 1621
5254-549: The Patent Rolls of 1331. Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour . They brought valuable cargoes from across the globe and exported local products overseas. Ships carrying coal were commonplace in Portishead Docks. In
5396-629: The Royal Portbury Dock . A new junction was created, 3 miles (5 km) from Portishead station, and a new goods line built from there to the Royal Portbury Dock. There is a campaign group aimed at reopening the station and the short stretch of unopened line. In 2009 a report by the Association of Train Operating Companies stated that the Portishead branch was a special case for future consideration for reopening due to
5538-560: The Royalists , but surrendered to Fairfax in 1645. Guns were also placed at Battery Point during World War II . The King Road was the site of a naval action in 1758 when HMS Antelope captured Belliqueux , one of a French squadron returning from Quebec . A mill was built on Welhay stream but this was replaced by tidal mills . In the 17th century the City of Bristol bought the manors of North Weston and Portishead for access to
5680-458: The Society of Merchant Venturers following Vick's bequest. The trust was authorised to manage the bridge and collect tolls by acts of Parliament in 1952, 1980 and 1986. A toll is levied on vehicles, but the £0.05 toll that the act allows for cyclists or pedestrians is not collected. Human toll collectors were replaced by automated machines in 1975. The tolls are used to pay for the upkeep of
5822-735: The Society of Merchant Venturers , the Senior Sheriff of the City and County of Bristol and Thomas Daniel . The act allowed a wrought iron suspension bridge to be built instead of stone, and tolls levied to recoup the cost. The three trustees named in the act met on 17 June 1830 and appointed further trustees, bringing the total up to 23. There were additions to this number in the weeks which followed, so by early July 1830 there were 31 in all, although not everyone had been formally sworn in by that date. Others included Thomas Durbin Brice, Master of
Portishead Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
5964-474: The West of England combined authority area (which covers most of greater Bristol, but excludes Portishead). This will use both existing and disused rail lines in the Bristol area, operating half-hourly services subject to a proven business case being made and infrastructure constraints. Phase 1 of the programme will include reopening the Portishead line to passenger services and increasing the frequency of services on
6106-492: The "GW150" celebrations. This is thought to be the last commercial use before the line was rebuilt. The line branches northwards from the Bristol–Exeter main line at Parson Street Junction, originally called Portishead Junction, immediately west of Parson Street station in southern Bristol. From here it runs north along the southwest bank of the River Avon . At Ashton junction, the former line to Bristol Harbour diverged to
6248-473: The "port at the head of the river". It has been called 'Portshead' and 'Portschute' at times in its history and Portesheve in the Domesday Book , and was locally known as Posset. The town's recorded history dates back to Roman times, although there is also evidence of prehistoric settlement, including polished flint axe heads. There were also Iron Age settlements in the area, of which Cadbury Camp
6390-583: The 1880s Portishead Dock was acquired by Bristol Corporation, and was subsequently managed as part of the Port of Bristol until its closure. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1937 its original six short chimney stacks were replaced by
6532-579: The Ashlands development lies Portbury Ashlands Nature Reserve. This waterfront development is known as Port Marine. The area has varied styles of houses and apartments, including an area built in the style of a fishing village, which is modelled on the Cornish seaside town of Polperro with narrow streets and multi-coloured properties. New waterside bars and restaurants, including Hall & Woodhouse , Aqua, Bottelinos, Costa Coffee have opened around
6674-487: The Atlantic waters. There are measurable levels of chemical pollutants, but little is known about their effects. Of particular concern are the levels of cadmium and to a lesser degree residual pesticides and hydrocarbons . Portishead Pier to Black Nore SSSI is a 177-acre (72 ha) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1952. The Portishead Pier Section is made up of alluvial sandstones ,
6816-530: The B3129 road. The bridge is a Grade I listed building . In November 2011 it was announced that a new visitor centre, costing nearly £2 million, was to be built at the Leigh Woods end of the bridge to replace the temporary building currently being used. The new facilities were scheduled to be completed before the 150th anniversary of the opening, which was celebrated on 8 December 2014. In December 2012 it
6958-428: The B3129 road. The idea of building a bridge across the Avon Gorge originated in 1753. Original plans were for a stone bridge and later iterations were for a wrought iron structure. In 1831, an attempt to build Brunel's design was halted by the Bristol riots , and the revised version of his designs was built after his death and completed in 1864. Although similar in size and design, the bridge towers are not identical,
7100-647: The Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds. In 1860, Brunel's Hungerford suspension bridge over the Thames in London was demolished to make way for a new railway bridge to Charing Cross railway station . Its chains were purchased for use at Clifton. A revised design was made by William Henry Barlow and Sir John Hawkshaw , with a wider, higher and sturdier deck than Brunel intended, with triple chains instead of double. It has been argued that
7242-657: The Bristol Corporation purchased large portions of land in Portishead and revived the Manor Court. The rights of the corporation over the manor were disputed, but they held it until 1836, when they sold it for £8,050. The parish of Portishead was part of the Portbury Hundred . The town was built at the mouth of a small tributary of the Severn Estuary near the mouth of the River Avon . The old pill or jetty provided protection for craft against
SECTION 50
#17327765306297384-518: The British merchant navy and with patrol aircraft in the North Atlantic . During the war, all communications with ships were one-way in order to avoid revealing the ships' locations to the enemy. The station was short-staffed because many were on secondments to various government services, such as operating other radio stations and training new radio officers to work in naval convoys. In 1943,
7526-610: The Clifton Bridge Bill which became an act , the Clifton Suspension Bridge Act 1830 ( 11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4 . c. lxix), when the bill received royal assent on 29 May 1830. The act appointed three trustees to carry through the purposes of the act, with powers to appoint more up to a total not exceeding thirty five or less than twenty. The three trustees named in the act were the Master of
7668-542: The Clifton tower having side cut-outs, the Leigh tower more pointed arches atop a 110-foot (34 m) red sandstone -clad abutment. Roller-mounted "saddles" at the top of each tower allow movement of the three independent wrought iron eyebar chains on each side when loads pass over the bridge. The bridge deck is suspended by 162 vertical wrought-iron rods in 81 matching pairs. The Clifton Bridge Company initially managed
7810-794: The Portishead line, still the property of the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway Company, was converted between Saturday 24 and Tuesday 27 January 1880. By the Bristol Harbour Extension Act 1897 , the GWR was authorised to make a connection between the branch and the Bristol Harbour Railway , also with the north side of the Floating Harbour following agreement with the Corporation of Bristol. These lines were completed to Canons Marsh and, via
7952-549: The Society of Merchant Venturers, George Daubeny, John Cave, John Scandrett Harford , George Hilhouse, Henry Bush, and Richard Guppy. The first full meeting of the trustees was held on 22 June 1830 in the Merchants Hall in Bristol. Alderman Thomas Daniel was in the chair. 86 people had committed £17,350, an average of just over £200 each. These funds raised during the first few months of 1830 were not sufficient for
8094-708: The UK. The radio station had separate transmitting and receiving stations. They were constructed by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company and operated by the General Post Office (GPO). By 1936, the station had a staff of 60 radio officers who handled over 3 million words of radio traffic per year. Following the privatisation of the GPO's telephone network in 1981, the station was operated by British Telecommunications PLC (now known as BT Group PLC). The main transmitting station, which
8236-421: The annual precipitation falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest; the prevailing wind direction is from the south-west. Portishead had a population of 22,000 in 2016, an increase of over 3,000 since
8378-431: The attic rooms, and that they overhung the river much as Tudor houses would overhang the street. In the 1760s a bill to replace the bridge was carried through parliament by the Bristol MP Sir Jarrit Smyth . By the early 18th century, increase in traffic and the encroachment of shops on the roadway made the bridge fatally dangerous for many pedestrians. A new bridge, designed by James Bridges and finished by Thomas Paty
8520-433: The best exposure of Upper Carboniferous rocks in the Avonmouth Coalfield. The cliff and foreshore exposures around Portishead Point provide important exposures of geological structures formed during the Variscan mountain building episode in the Carboniferous Period of geological history. Also included are important exposures of the Devonian sequence that yield several species of fossil fish. Holoptychius scales are
8662-431: The bridge deck is suspended by eighty-one matching vertical wrought-iron rods ranging from 65 feet (20 m) at the ends to 3 feet (0.91 m) in the centre. Composed of numerous parallel rows of eyebars connected by bolts, the chains are anchored in tunnels in the rocks 60 feet (18 m) below ground level at the sides of the gorge. The deck was originally laid with wooden planking, later covered with asphalt, which
SECTION 60
#17327765306298804-416: The bridge for major annual events has continued each year since then. On 26 November 2003, the last Concorde flight (Concorde 216) flew over the bridge before landing at Filton Aerodrome . In April 2006, the bridge was the centrepiece of the Brunel 200 weekend, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. At the climax of the celebration a firework display was launched from
8946-403: The bridge towers are not identical in design, the Clifton tower having side cut-outs whilst the Leigh tower has more pointed arches and chamfered edges. Brunel's original plan proposed they be topped with then-fashionable sphinxes , but the ornaments were never constructed. The 85-foot-tall (26 m) Leigh Woods tower stands atop a 110-foot (34 m) red sandstone-clad abutment. In 2002 it
9088-460: The bridge under licence from a charitable trust. The trust subsequently purchased the company shares, completing this in 1949 and took over the running of the bridge using the income from tolls to pay for maintenance. The bridge is a distinctive landmark, used as a symbol of Bristol on postcards, promotional materials, and informational web sites. It has been used as a backdrop to several films and television advertising and programmes. It has also been
9230-409: The bridge, as he did not believe a single-span bridge of such length could be constructed. His son chose to ignore his advice. A ceremony to mark the start of the construction works was held Monday 20 June 1831. Work started on blasting of St. Vincent's Rock, on the Clifton side of the gorge. Four months later work was halted by the Bristol riots , which took place after the House of Lords rejected
9372-445: The bridge, including the strengthening of the chain anchor points, which was done in 1925 and 1939, and regular painting and maintenance, which is carried out from a motorised cradle slung beneath the deck. By 2008 over 4 million vehicles crossed the bridge each year. In February 2012, the bridge trustees applied to the Department for Transport to increase the toll to £1, subsequently implemented on 24 April 2014. On 1 April 1979,
9514-446: The bridge. After the passing of the act for the Great Western Railway reestablished financial confidence, work resumed in 1836, but subsequent investment proved woefully inadequate. Despite the main contractors going bankrupt in 1837, the towers were built in unfinished stone. To enable the transfer of materials, a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) iron bar, which was 1.25 inches (32 mm) in diameter, had been drawn by capstan across
9656-497: The bridge. The celebrations also saw the activation of an LED -based lighting array to illuminate the bridge. On 4 April 2009, the bridge was shut for one night to allow a crack in one of the support hangers to be repaired. On 23 May 2012, the London 2012 Olympic Torch relay crossed over the bridge, where two of the torchbearers came together in a "kiss" to exchange the flame in the middle of Brunel's iconic landmark. The bridge carries four million vehicles per year, along part of
9798-443: The chains, vertical suspension rods were hung from the links in the chains and large girders hung from these. The girders on either side then support the deck, which is 3 feet (0.91 m) higher at the Clifton end than at Leigh Woods so that it gives the impression of being horizontal. The strength of the structure was tested by spreading 500 tons of stone over the bridge. This caused it to sag by 7 inches (180 mm), but within
9940-417: The channel and as a place to stay outside of the city and, in the 19th century, as a seaside resort. An outer sea wall was built, allowing the local marshes to be drained and increasing the land available for farming. The dominant architecture is early Victorian , with some buildings maintaining their original features. The expansion in residential property coincided with the construction of the dock, pier and
10082-411: The construction. Despite this Brunel produced a new proposal costing £10,000 less than Telford's design and gained support for it in the local press. James Meadows Rendel, William Armstrong and William Hill also submitted new, cheaper proposals, complaining that the committee had not set a budget. In 1831 a second competition was held, with new judges including Davies Gilbert and John Seaward examining
10224-406: The development, and the railway was to be operated on the atmospheric principle , in which trains were propelled by a piston in a tube between the rails, from which the air ahead of the train had been exhausted by stationary steam engines. At this time the collapse of investor confidence following the period of railway mania was taking effect, therefore finance for the work could not be raised and
10366-403: The dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992. Much of the growth of Portishead's population can be attributed to the development of the former docks. The former deep-water dock, used to supply coal and goods to the power stations, has been fully redeveloped into a modern marina with 250 pontoon berths. The areas on each side of
10508-564: The engineering qualities of the proposals. Thirteen designs were submitted; Telford's was the only one in which the chains achieved the weight per square inch required by the judges but it was rejected as being too expensive. The winner was declared to be a design by Smith and Hawkes of the Eagle Foundry in Birmingham. Brunel had a personal meeting with Gilbert and persuaded him to change the decision. The committee then declared Brunel
10650-517: The expected tolerances. During this time a tunnel was driven through the rocks on the Leigh Woods side beneath the bridge to carry the Bristol Port Railway to Avonmouth . The construction work was completed in 1864–111 years after a bridge at the site was first planned. On 8 December 1864, the bridge was lit by a combination of four electric arc lamps , magnesium flares and limelights for its ceremonial opening ceremony. This
10792-469: The figure of 17,130 recorded in the 2001 census , with a growth rate of 40 per cent; which is considerably in excess of surrounding towns. As the result of a house-building programme, a further 8,000 people are expected to settle in the area by 2026, making Portishead one of the largest towns in North Somerset . Local employers include the Avon and Somerset Constabulary (which has its headquarters on
10934-534: The first modern bungee jumps were made from the bridge by members of the University of Oxford Dangerous Sports Club . In 2003 and 2004, the weight of crowds travelling to and from the Ashton Court Festival and Bristol International Balloon Fiesta put such great strain on the bridge that it was decided to close the bridge to all motor traffic and pedestrians during the events. The closure of
11076-457: The former dockside. During 2000 and 2001 the railway was rebuilt as far as Pill, and a short spur constructed to the Royal Portbury Dock to carry freight. The total cost of this work was £21 million. The guests for the official opening ceremony were taken from Parson Street station to Portbury on a train hauled by Bristol Industrial Museum 's Portbury locomotive on 21 December. Some local politicians and organisations campaigned to have
11218-549: The gorge. A contract was placed with Dowlais Ironworks to supply 600 tons of bar iron, which was to be transported to the Copperhouse foundry to be forged into bar chains. By 1843 funds were exhausted and another £30,000 was needed. As the work had exceeded the time limit stated in the act, all work stopped. Brunel suggested building a deep water pier at Portbury , which would make the bridge an essential road link, but funds for this scheme were not forthcoming. In 1851,
11360-550: The ironwork was sold and used to build the Brunel-designed Royal Albert Bridge on the railway between Plymouth and Saltash . The towers remained and during the 1850s intrepid passengers could cross the gorge in a basket slung from the iron bar. Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. His colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of
11502-581: The island itself is reckoned administratively to Monmouthshire , Wales. The tidal rise and fall in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel can be as great as 49 ft (15 m), second only to Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada . There has been concern about pollution levels from industrial areas in Wales and at the eastern end of the Bristol Channel; however, this tends to be diluted by
11644-465: The junction with the B&ER and at the Ashton Vale siding. These and other shortcomings were attended to at once, and the line opened on 18 April 1867. The train service in 1870 was eight trains each way daily, with a journey time of 30 to 35 minutes; there was one train each way on Sundays, the return to Bristol leaving at 8:30 pm. MacDermot describes the original opening: On 18 April 1867
11786-401: The lake grounds is Battery Point, where a gun battery was sited to protect the Severn Estuary from invasion. Along with the rest of South West England , Portishead has a temperate climate generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal and diurnal variations, but the modifying effect of the sea restricts
11928-466: The large projected increase in population and congestion in the area. Portishead also had a second, short-lived, railway line: the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway . It ran between Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon as a standard railway line, and between Clevedon and Portishead as a light railway . The Clevedon to Portishead extension opened on 7 August 1907. The line closed on 19 May 1940 and
12070-655: The last train load of coal departed on 16 November 1973. The price of oil rose steeply in the 1970s (see 1973 oil crisis and 1979 oil crisis ) and the two power stations were little used after these events. Portishead "A" power station was closed in 1976; and the first of its two chimney stacks, a landmark, was demolished in September 1981, followed by the second in August 1982. Portishead "B" power station closed in 1982 and both of its 383 feet (117 m) stacks were demolished in October 1992. Industrial activities ceased at
12212-454: The latter was built in 1918 to serve a planned shipyard, but this was never built and the station closed in 1928. Portbury is the next station, followed by the terminus of the passenger railway, Portishead , as the line swerves north-eastwards. The line originally continued beyond the passenger station in that direction to the Pier. This extension closed in 1954. A west curve was constructed at
12354-406: The line on 12 April 1867. He noted that the gradients and curves were significantly inferior to those on the original 1863 design; this probably indicates that they were sacrificed to reduce earthworks and avoid one of the tunnels. The line was 9 miles 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 chains (14.72 km) in length, with an additional 48 + 1 ⁄ 2 chains (980 m) at the dock. The track
12496-488: The main line junction west of Parson Street, forming a triangle there. The derelict shell of the Portbury Shipyard building (built 1913) remains to the north of the line. A short line branched off back towards the river at this point to serve the proposed development. In 1954 the original Portishead station was demolished, to provide space for the second Portishead power station , and a new station constructed in
12638-527: The marina as well as a nearby Wetherspoons . At the top of the marina sits a new RNLI lifeboat station, opened in 2015 and run by around 40 local volunteer crew. An RNLI shop, open daily, is attached to the lifeboat station. Portishead was previously the telephone control centre used by British Telecom (BT) for non-direct dialled calls to maritime vessels, a service known as "Portishead Radio". This has now been largely replaced by INMARSAT , which permits directly dialled calls made from any BT landline in
12780-479: The marina, formerly occupied by the two power stations and chemical plant, have been redeveloped to provide a wide range of housing, from town houses to social housing to exclusive flats. Development has also completed on the Portbury Ashlands to the east of the harbour (so-called because they were the dumping ground for power station waste) extending the area of the town further towards Portbury. Next to
12922-478: The medium-range services (MF maritime band 1.6–3.0 MHz) at 12:00 on Friday 30 June. The station closed in April 2000. The Highbridge station has been demolished. Sedgemoor District Council adopted a local development plan in September 2004 that included the site of the receiving station for future housing development. Planning permission was granted in October 2007 for a development of 190 houses and flats on
13064-505: The mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. One generator (500 MW) of four at each of the new power stations had almost the same output of both Portishead Stations combined ("A" Station 200 MW, "B" Station 360 MW). The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. The two Radstock pits ceased production in September 1973 and
13206-419: The most abundant fossils, but teeth scales of other species are also relatively common. Notably amongst the collection from this bed are plates of arthrodires , including Groenlandaspis . Eastwood and Battery Point Local Nature Reserve is a 9 hectares (22 acres) woodland containing Yew , Maple , Dogs mercury and beech . The Lake Grounds area, built in the early 20th century around an artificial lake,
13348-459: The most significant was the change from a pier at Portbury to a dock at Portishead. The pier would have been exposed to westerly winds and would have had limited accommodation for the reception and loading of vessels. The intended Portishead branch became the main line, curving north at Portishead to service the west side of the new dock, and the Portbury section of the originally intended main line
13490-536: The new company was dissolved. In 1849 a small stone pier was built at Portishead, and packet steamers unloaded passengers there from that time; but this did little to reduce the desire to improve the city's port facilities, and competing factions tried to get approval for their schemes. In July 1862 the Bristol Port Railway and Pier Company obtained an act of Parliament, the Bristol Port, Railway and Pier Act 1862 ( 25 & 26 Vict. c. clix), giving authority for
13632-401: The operation of the bridge. They paid £50 each year to the trustees who gradually purchased the shares in the company. The revenues from tolls were minimal initially as there was not much traffic; however, this increased after 1920 with greater car ownership. In 1949 the trustees purchased all the outstanding shares and debentures. The bridge is managed by a charitable trust, originally formed by
13774-547: The order of the names being swapped two months later on 1 June 1993 to be "Portishead and North Weston". The parish name was changed back to just Portishead in 2011, when the parish also gained some territory from neighbouring Portbury . The parish is part of the North Somerset county constituency of the House of Commons . It has been represented since 1992 by Liam Fox , a member of the Conservative Party , who
13916-740: The original objective, the shipping facility, was on the back burner; reporting the opening, the Bristol Times said, "It is intended shortly to commence a port, which is expected to occupy about two years in the erection." However, in June 1868 a tidal pier was opened, and by April 1870 a low-water extension was ready. Vincent says that the railway company itself ran steamer services to Cardiff and Newport , and summer excursions to Ilfracombe. The Great Western Railway progressively converted its main lines and branches to standard gauge , 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ), and
14058-409: The original route to Portishead. This was the beginning of the work required to reopen the line for passenger use. Technical assessment of potential sites for a new Portishead station was undertaken in 2013 and followed by public consultation in 2014. The site chosen in 2015 is at the junction of Harbour Road and Quays Avenue, some 600 metres short of the 1950s station. In March 2017, MetroWest reported
14200-402: The phosphate rock. The phosphorus was then moved in sealed railway tanks to Oldbury and to Kirkby . After the closure of the factory the decontamination included the removal of yellow (spontaneously combustible) and red allotropes of phosphorus. The site is now home to Portishead volunteer coastguard. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in
14342-697: The project. In January 2009, it was announced that Network Rail was to carry out a feasibility study on re-opening the line. During the Rail Priority Conference organised by the West of England Partnership in November 2011, delegates travelled on the line, using sections of track not open for passenger traffic. The project to reopen the Portishead line to passenger rail services is part of the MetroWest programme to improve local rail services in
14484-455: The radio station's penultimate year to March 1999, there were on average, per month, 571 radio telegrams, 533 radio telephone calls and 4,001 radio telex calls. In 1998, British Telecom Maritime Radio Services announced its planned closure of Portishead Radio. The long-range services (HF bands 3–30 MHz) ceased at midnight on 31 August 1999. The short-range VHF maritime band services (156–174 MHz) closed at 12:00 on Sunday 30 April 2000, and
14626-409: The rail link to Bristol. The Royal Hotel by the pier was built in a Tudor Gothic style in 1830, to provide accommodation and catering for travellers on the steamers from Bristol, Wales and Ireland . The act of Parliament governing the enclosure of Portishead was passed in 1814, and stipulated the right to a public wharf, although there is historical evidence of nautical connections dating back to
14768-491: The range to less than that in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month, with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (34 °F) and 2 °C (36 °F). July and August are the warmest, with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south-west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when
14910-590: The rebuilding of stations at Portishead and Pill. In December 2023, it was announced that a business case would be submitted the following year and construction could start before the end of 2024 with an anticipated opening date of 2028. The freight-only route carries DB Schenker , Freightliner and GB Railfreight services. The major freight flows along the line are bulk coal and newly delivered vehicles. All services are operated by Class 66 or Class 70 locomotives. Portishead, Somerset Portishead ( / ˈ p ɔːr t ɪ s h ɛ d / PORT -iss-hed )
15052-427: The remaining 3.3 miles (5.3 km) repaired and a new station constructed at Portishead. A campaign group advocated reopening the station and the short stretch of unopened line. The coastal town largely serves as a dormitory town for Bristol workers, and the main route into the city – the single carriageway A369 – carries much commuter traffic. The 2006–2011 Joint Local Transport Plan reserved £1 million for
15194-456: The remaining line to Portishead for passengers will not start until 2024 and the earliest opening date will not be before 2026. In 2023, this was revised to 2028. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Bristol harbour had been paramount as the focus of international trade with the New World. However the city centre location, and the difficult tidal negotiation of the Avon valley , was increasingly
15336-585: The right. Immediately north of the site of the junction, the first station was Ashton Gate , opened in 1906, followed by Clifton Bridge station , 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) south of the Clifton Suspension Bridge itself. Now in the Avon Gorge , the railway runs through No. 1 Tunnel where the Clifton Suspension Bridge runs overhead. Next is Nightingale Valley Halt, opened in 1928 and closed in 1932, where
15478-431: The routes to Severn Beach and Bath . The project is being led by North Somerset Council on behalf of the three West of England combined authority councils (Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Bristol City), with oversight from 2014 by the West of England Joint Transport Board within the West of England local enterprise partnership . In March 2013, track clearance works began to allow surveying of
15620-424: The second Reform Bill , which aimed to eliminate some of the rotten boroughs and give parliamentary seats to Britain's fast growing industrial towns such as Bristol. Five to six hundred young men were involved in the riots and Brunel was sworn in as a special constable . The riots severely dented commercial confidence in Bristol; subscriptions to the bridge company ceased, and along with it, further construction of
15762-473: The site and shortly afterwards the old radio station buildings were demolished. There are two tiers of local government covering Portishead, at parish (town) and unitary authority level: Portishead Town Council and North Somerset Council , although the area below high-water mark , including the pier, is within Bristol . The town council is based at the Folk Hall at 95 High Street. The police service
15904-456: The site of the Royal Portbury Dock , the line as far as that point was reopened to accommodate the new traffic, in 2002. Public consultation took place in 2015 regarding the reopening of the entire line to passenger traffic in 2020, as part of the MetroWest proposals. By 2020, the line was scheduled to reopen in December 2024. It was reported in November 2022 that construction work to reopen
16046-468: The size and technology of these revisions was so great that the credit for its design should go to Barlow and Hawkshaw. The towers remained in rough stone, rather than being finished in the Egyptian style. Work on the bridge was restarted in 1862. Initially a temporary bridge was created by pulling ropes across the gorge and making a footway of wire ropes with wood planks held together with iron hoops. This
16188-492: The summer of 2023 as a hotel once more. Transport links to Bristol and beyond have been a concern for some residents of the town and a group has been set up to campaign for the reopening of the Portishead to Bristol railway line. The cost has been estimated at £28 million, and feasibility plans are being considered. The main A369 road — known after the historical name for the area as "The Portbury Hundred ", which links
16330-422: The town to the nearby M5 motorway — is prone to congestion, especially during rush hours. Major traffic-flow modifications have caused much controversy because they are widely seen as having caused queuing where none existed before. More than 4,000 residents signed a petition to North Somerset Council expressing concern at the development. Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge
16472-456: The upkeep of the bridge. The French Revolutionary Wars broke out soon after the design was published, affecting trade and commerce, so the plans were shelved. In 1811 Sarah Guppy patented a design for a suspension bridge across the gorge but this was never realised and was not submitted to the later competition. By 1829, Vick's bequest had reached £8,000, but it was estimated that a stone bridge would cost over ten times that. A competition
16614-589: The venue for significant cultural events such as the first modern bungee jump in 1979, the last Concorde flight in 2003 which flew over the bridge, and a handover of the Olympic Torch relay in 2012. It is unknown when the first bridge was constructed across the Avon in Bristol, but the first stone bridge, Bristol Bridge , was built in the 13th century. It had houses with shopfronts built on it to pay for its maintenance. A 17th-century illustration shows that these bridge houses were five storeys high, including
16756-415: The villages of Clapton in Gordano , Weston in Gordano , Easton in Gordano , Walton in Gordano , Portbury and Sheepway . The M5 motorway runs along the south side of the valley, splitting briefly into two levels – the south-west-bound level running above the north-east-bound carriageway. The Gordano motorway service station is at the eastern end of the valley, near the Royal Portbury Dock and
16898-522: The water-hydraulic powered Ashton Swing Bridge to Wapping Wharf, opening to goods traffic on 4 October 1906, together with the West Loop at Ashton Gate, facing Exeter. Passenger services were discontinued in 1964 as part of the Reshaping of British Railways report. Freight was discontinued in 1981 but the railway was not dismantled. In 1985 a series of steam excursions ran along the line as part of
17040-405: The west side of the mouth of the River Avon , with the railway network. The line opened to Portishead in 1867, and to the docks in 1879. The docks were always overshadowed by Bristol and Avonmouth docks. The ordinary passenger service declined in the twentieth century, leading to closure to passengers in 1964, and to all traffic in 1981. When a new high capacity freight terminal was opened at
17182-449: The western edge of the town), Gordano School , and numerous care homes for the elderly, as well as a retail complex. The Victorian High Street has retained a number of local shops, such as Morgan-Westley, The Outlet, Careys DIY and Zebra; despite some larger DIY chains and supermarkets being built— Homebase , Argos , Waitrose , New Look , Peacocks and Pets at Home . In January 2010, Sainsbury's applied for planning permission to build
17324-408: The winner and he was awarded a contract as project engineer. The winning design was for a suspension bridge with fashionably Egyptian -influenced towers. In 2010, newly discovered letters and documents revealed that, in producing his design, Brunel had not taken advice from his father, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel , who had offered to help. The elder Brunel had recommended including a central support for
17466-415: The workload was so great that a Royal Navy officer and 18 telegraphists were brought in from HMS Flowerdown, a Naval Shore Wireless Service station near Winchester . By the end of the 1980s, satellite communications had started to take an increasing share of the station's business, and a programme of severe rationalisation began, leading to the closure of two transmitting sites at Leafield and Ongar. In
17608-572: Was Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for International Trade . Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament . Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary . It lies north east of Clevedon and immediately south west of Avonmouth just across the River Avon , which forms the boundary between Somerset and Bristol . The city of Bristol
17750-480: Was abandoned; these changes were authorised in a new act of Parliament of 1866. Evidently the dock required more expenditure than the pier, and an additional £66,000 of share capital and £20,000 in loans were authorised. The access to the new dock required a crossing of Portishead Pill on a curve, and a wooden trestle viaduct of 23 spans was required. Colonel Yolland of the Board of Trade carried out an inspection of
17892-462: Was abolished in 1974, becoming part of the Woodspring district of Avon . Woodspring subsequently became the unitary authority of North Somerset in 1996. A successor parish was created in 1974 covering the former urban district of Portishead. In 1993 North Weston was reunited with Portishead, with the enlarged parish being named "North Weston and Portishead" from the merger on 1 April 1993, with
18034-472: Was announced that the bridge had received £595,000 of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to improve the visitor centre. The University of Bristol Special Collections holds substantial records related to the bridge. Letter books of the trustees of Clifton Suspension Bridge dated 1831–1862 are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. 12167/42-44) ( online catalogue ). Although similar in size
18176-448: Was broad gauge, and there were stations at Clifton Bridge, Pill, Portbury and Portishead, and a siding at Ashton Vale Works; there was an engine turntable at Portishead. However Yolland found numerous shortcomings; as well as fencing deficiencies there were inadequate clearances to two bridge abutments and to retaining walls, and in the No. 2 Tunnel; and proper signalling needed to be provided at
18318-607: Was built in 1769 and 1776. Resentment at the tolls exacted to cross the new bridge occasioned the Bristol Bridge Riot of 1793. Other crossings were considered, but were restricted by Admiralty rules that stipulated that any bridge had to be at least 100 feet (30 m) above the water to allow the passage of tall-masted warships to Bristol Harbour . To achieve this, any bridge constructed between Bristol Bridge and Avon Gorge, from Hotwells to Ashton Gate , would require massive embankments and viaducts. The alternative
18460-412: Was built in 1830 by the Corporation of Bristol (now known as Bristol City Council) in order to provide a hotel supporting the development of the seaside resort. It is thought to be the only seaside hotel to be built by a public authority during the nineteenth century. It is a Grade II listed building . The Royal closed during the latter half of 2022 for upgrades and building works. It is set to reopen in
18602-472: Was converted into a local government district , governed by a local board. Such local government districts were reconstituted as urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894 , which also said that parishes could no longer straddle district boundaries. The part of the parish outside the urban district therefore became a separate parish called North Weston . Portishead Urban District
18744-483: Was discovered that this was not a solid structure but contained 12 vaulted chambers up to 35 feet (11 m) high, linked by shafts and tunnels. Roller-mounted "saddles" at the top of each tower allow movement of the chains when loads pass over the bridge. Though their total travel is minuscule, their ability to absorb forces created by chain deflection prevents damage to both tower and chain. The bridge has three independent wrought iron chains per side, from which
18886-544: Was expected to make a decision within 18 months, but the decision deadline was extended to April 2022. Subject to final business case approval, construction work had been expected to start in April/May 2022 and take around two years to complete. In November 2022, the Department for Transport gave planning permission for the line to be reopened. In February 2023, VolkerFitzpatrick was appointed as primary contractor for
19028-556: Was held to find a design for the bridge with a prize of 100 guineas . Entries were received from 22 designers, including Samuel Brown , James Meadows Rendel , William Tierney Clark and William Hazledine . Several were for stone bridges and had estimated costs of between £30,000 and £93,000. Brunel submitted four entries. The judging committee rejected 17 of the 22 plans submitted, on the grounds of appearance or cost. They then called in Scottish civil engineer Thomas Telford to make
19170-472: Was in Gloucestershire , outside the City of Bristol, until the 1830s) and Leigh Woods in Somerset. Although there was little development in the area before the late 18th century, as Bristol became more prosperous, Clifton became fashionable and more wealthy merchants moved to the area. In 1793 William Bridges published plans for a stone arch with abutments containing factories, which would pay for
19312-467: Was remotely operated, originally consisted of a large array of radio masts at nearby Portishead Downs but was replaced by a single radio mast at Clevedon . It was used until the 1970s. The receiving station's control centre and radio masts were located at Highbridge , near Burnham-on-Sea . The radio station played a vital role during the Second World War in maintaining communications with
19454-484: Was renewed in 2009. The weight of the bridge, including chains, rods, girders and deck is approximately 1,500 tons. Two men were killed during the construction of the bridge. In 1885, a 22-year-old woman named Sarah Ann Henley survived a suicide attempt off the bridge when her billowing skirts acted as a parachute and she landed in the thick mud banks of the tidal River Avon at low tide; she subsequently lived into her eighties. The Clifton Suspension Bridge
19596-512: Was the earliest use of external electric lighting in Bristol. However, the lighting levels were inconsistent and the magnesium lamps were blown out by the wind. The custom of lighting the bridge has continued with more recent events, although later thousands of electric light bulbs were attached to the bridge instead of flares. In 1860 the Clifton Bridge Company was set up to oversee the final stages of completion and manage
19738-665: Was the largest. Other sites that have been identified include a 1,200 by 600 feet (370 by 180 m) site that was successively occupied by the Romans, Britons and Danes . There is some evidence that it may have been the western end of the Wansdyke , an early medieval or possibly Roman boundary with a series of defensive linear earthworks extending to the Savernake Forest near Marlborough in Wiltshire . After
19880-491: Was then dismantled by the GWR. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. Phosphate rock was stored in concrete silos on the dockside until it was required. Electricity provided by the local power stations was used to run six 7.5 megawatt electric arc furnaces (45 MW total) that reduced
20022-411: Was to build across the narrowest point of the Avon Gorge, well above the height required for shipping. In 1753 Bristolian merchant William Vick had left a bequest in his will of £ 1,000 (equivalent to £190,000 in 2023), invested with instructions that when the interest had accumulated to £10,000 ( £1,920,000 ), it should be used for the purpose of building a stone bridge between Clifton Down (which
20164-429: Was used by the workers to move a "traveller", consisting of a light frame on wheels, to transport each link individually, which would eventually make up the chains supporting the bridge. The chains are anchored in tapering tunnels, 25 metres (82 ft) long, on both sides of the bridge and plugs of Staffordshire blue brick infilled to prevent the chains being pulled out of the narrower tunnel mouth. After completion of
#628371