In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Menai Bridge like this:
MENAI BRIDGE, a great suspension bridge over the Menai strait, between Carnarvonshire and Anglesey; near the junction of the Chester and Holyhead railway with the Carnarvon railway, 1 mile NE of the Britannia Bridge, and 1 W of Bangor. It is on the line of the great Holyhead road, formed by Telford; was contemplated in 1810 and following years, on designs which proved unsatisfactory; and was constructed in 1818-26, on a design by Telford, at a cost of £211,791. ...
It stands on a spot called Ynys-y-moch, where bold rocky shores, on both sides, gave opportunity for a lofty road-way. Four arches on one side, and three on the other, each 52½ feet in span, and springing from a height of 65 feet, carry the road to the suspending piers. The piers are 153 feet high, stand 553 feet apart, and are formed of hard limestone masonry. The supporting chains are 16 in number, and each 1,715 feet long; they are fastened at each end, into 60 feet of rock; they pass over the top of the piers in cast-iron saddle's on rollers; they have a length of 579 feet between the piers, with a hanging fall of 43 feet; and they support a permanent w eight of 489 tons, and are capahle of supporting an additional weight of 1,520 tons. The road-way is double, 28 feet broad, and 102 feet above high-water level; it consists of timber; and it rests on iron joists, suspended by rods from the chains, and protected at the sides by high iron-trelliswork. A perceptible vibration is caused by the passage of a vehicle, or even of a man on horse-back; and the road-way was so shattered by a storm in Jan. 1839 as to require much repair and strengthening; but the chains have hitherto resisted all injury from any cause. The total weight o the iron-work is 2,186 tons. A large hotel is near the bridge; a railway station is at the neighbouring junction of railways; fairs are held in the vicinity on 11 May, 27 July, 18 Aug., 26 Sept., 24 O ct., and 14 Nov.; and there is a post office designated MenaiBridge, Anglesey.
Menai Bridge through time
Menai Bridge is now part of the Isle of Anglesey district. Click here for graphs and data of how the Isle of Anglesey has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Menai Bridge itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Menai Bridge in The the Isle of Anglesey | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1039
Date accessed: 31st October 2024
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