Chepstow Railway Bridge was built to the instructions of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1852. The "Great Tubular Bridge" over the River Wye at Chepstow, which at that point forms the boundary between Wales and England, is considered one of Brunel's major achievements, despite its appearance. It was economical in its use of materials, and would prove to be the design prototype for Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. Although the superstructure has since been replaced, Brunel's tubular iron supports are still in place. It is a Grade II listed structure.
Brunel's original railway bridge over the Wye at Chepstow, before its 1962 replacement.
Surviving section of one of the horizontal girders, preserved outside the offices of the adjacent Mabey Bridge works.
Brunel's cast iron pillars for the original bridge, still supporting the modern railway bridge and its underhung truss.
Present day Chepstow Railway Bridge
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. Its unique design consists of two 455-foot (138.7 m) lenticular iron trusses 100 feet (30.5 m) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. It is adjacent to the Tamar Bridge which opened in 1961 to carry the A38 road.
Royal Albert Bridge
A tide recorder designed by Brunel as part of his survey
The first span and centre pier under construction in 1854, seen from Saltash
The second span soon after it was floated onto the piers and had been jacked up the first 12 feet (3.7 m) towards its final position
