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  1. Industrial Archaeology
  2. Road Transport Heritage

The A5 - Telford's Masterpiece

The A5 London Holyhead Trunk Road is a major road in England and Wales. It runs for about 275 miles from London to the Irish Sea at the ferry port of Holyhead. In many parts the route follows that of the Roman Iter II route which later took the Anglo-Saxon name Watling Street.

Whilst in England the construction took over many existing turnpike roads the most impressive section of route is between Shrewsbury and Holyhead through the mountains of north Wales which was heavily engineered. Probably the piece de resistance is the maginificent Menai Suspension Bridge across the Menai Strait. Today the road has been designated an “Historic Route” .
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  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View of the Gwynedd suspension tower taken from below the Bridgemaster's House.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View of the Gwynedd suspension tower taken from below the Bridgemaster's House.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View of the Gwynedd suspension tower taken from below the Bridgemaster's House.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View of the Gwynedd suspension tower taken from below the Bridgemaster's House.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    One of the classic "sunburst" gates - a feature of Telford's London to Holyhead road seen on the Gwynedd side of the Bridge. These gates were also used at the toll houses along the route.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The Bridgemaster's House located on the Gwynedd side of the bridge. The suspension chains pass through the house to the ground anchorage behind. Since 1940 only two sets of chains have supported the bridge. Prior to that from opening in 1826 to four sets of wrought iron chains had been used. The other two sets passing through the sealed up orifices in the centre of the house which itself is made of Penmon Limestone. In 1940 a two year rebuild of the bridge into its present configuration by Dorman Long was completed.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The Bridgemaster's House located on the Gwynedd side of the bridge. The suspension chains pass through the house to the ground anchorage behind. Since 1940 only two sets of chains have supported the bridge. Prior to that from opening in 1826 to four sets of wrought iron chains had been used. The other two sets passing through the sealed up orifices in the centre of the house which itself is made of Penmon Limestone. In 1940 a two year rebuild of the bridge into its present configuration by Dorman Long was completed.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The Bridgemaster's House located on the Gwynedd side of the bridge. The suspension chains pass through the house to the ground anchorage behind. Since 1940 only two sets of chains have supported the bridge. Prior to that from opening in 1826 to four sets of wrought iron chains had been used. The other two sets passing through the sealed up orifices in the centre of the house which itself is made of Penmon Limestone. In 1940 a two year rebuild of the bridge into its present configuration by Dorman Long was completed.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Thomas Telford's magnificent Menai Suspension Bridge completed in 1826 and rebuilt 1938-40 seen from the Gwynedd side. The masonry is local Penmon limestone.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Thomas Telford's magnificent Menai Suspension Bridge completed in 1826 and rebuilt 1938-40 seen from the Gwynedd side. The masonry is local Penmon limestone.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Thomas Telford's magnificent Menai Suspension Bridge completed in 1826 and rebuilt 1938-40 seen from the Gwynedd side. The masonry is local Penmon limestone.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View from the Gwynnedd side of the bridge.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The archways can prove challenging for buses to pass through and all slow to a crawl to do so. Double deck buses can just get through. The central reservation once extended the full length of the bridge and was once the pedestrian walkway. It is no wonder that this walkway was relocated in 1938-40 to the outside as pedestrians had to share the archways with vehicles.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The archways can prove challenging for buses to pass through and all slow to a crawl to do so. Double deck buses can just get through. The central reservation once extended the full length of the bridge and was once the pedestrian walkway. It is no wonder that this walkway was relocated in 1938-40 to the outside as pedestrians had to share the archways with vehicles.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The Gwynedd suspension tower.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Porthaethwy - The town of Menai Bridge viewed from the Menai Suspension Bridge. This was once the terminal of steamship services operated by the Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company which operated from Menai Bridge Pier - just visible in the photograph with the University of Wales research ship PRINCE MADOC alongside. The Pier and landing stage are modern replacements for the original L&NWSSCo structure.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View along the eastern pedestrian walkway towards Anglesey.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    View along the eastern pedestrian walkway towards Anglesey.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Porthaethwy - The town of Menai Bridge viewed from the Menai Suspension Bridge. This was once the terminal of steamship services operated by the Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company which operated from Menai Bridge Pier - just visible in the photograph with the University of Wales research ship PRINCE MADOC alongside. The Pier and landing stage are modern replacements for the original L&NWSSCo structure.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    The Anglesey suspension tower

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Porthaethwy - The town of Menai Bridge viewed from the Menai Suspension Bridge. This was once the terminal of steamship services operated by the Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company which operated from Menai Bridge Pier - just visible in the photograph with the University of Wales research ship PRINCE MADOC alongside. The Pier and landing stage are modern replacements for the original L&NWSSCo structure.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Pedestrian walkway on the east side of the bridge - one of two added in the 1938-40 rebuild.

  • Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Menai Suspension Bridge, Anglesey, Wales - April 28, 2018

    Detail of the suspension rods

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