History of bridge is told in book
MENAI Heritage, the independent charity that runs the popular Bridges Exhibition in Menai Bridge, has announced the publication of a new book, Menai Suspension Bridge – The First 200 Years, written by Bob Daimond.
Two hundred years ago, on 10 August 1819, the first stone of the Menai Suspension Bridge was laid. This world famous bridge was a marvel of its age, by far the largest suspension bridge yet built, celebrated as a thing of beauty as well as a triumph of engineering.
The full story of the bridge is told in this 200-page, fully illustrated book. It takes you from the formation of the strait 5,200 years ago, through early designs for a bridge, to the Parliamentary struggles to get approval for construction. Details of how the challenges posed during construction were overcome, and the way the masonry and ironwork work together to span the Strait, are discussed, and the use and refurbishment of the bridge through the centuries are highlighted.
The author Bob Daimond, trustee and former chairman of the Menai Bridge Community Heritage Trust, is a Chartered Civil Engineer and former Director of Highways for Gwynedd.
He has been interested in the Menai Strait bridges for many years and works to raise awareness of the importance and sustainability of infrastructure heritage, as well as introducing students to the contribution of engineering to modern society.
The book costs £10 and is available at the Menai Heritage Bridges Exhibition, in the Thomas Telford Centre, Menai Bridge (across from Waitrose), open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am-5pm.
It can also be purchased online at https:// menaibridges.co.uk/online-shop/online-shop -books/.