The Clifton Suspension Bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1864, some five years after his death yet remains one of his most iconic works. The bridge spans the 200-odd metre Avon Gorge and connects Clifton Village on the east side to Leigh Woods and Ashton Court on the west, with the River Avon far below, when you reach the middle of the bridge and look down it can be a little dizzying!

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a renowned Bristol landmark and adorns many souvenirs and images typifying the city. It is a remarkable feat of engineering, it had the largest span of any bridge at the time it was built. This time last year, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of IKB’s birth (9th April 1806), and part of the Brunel 200 weekend, a new layout of lighting on the bridge was unveiled. The previous design lit the upright cables as well as the main supporting chains, the update only lights the chains and walkway leaving the uprights in the dark, I think I preferred the earlier version myself though the new one is very smart…

Interestingly the Bridge’s abutment on the west side (Leigh Woods) is not a solid structure, it is in fact comprised of a series of 12 hollow vaulted chambers in two tiers – seven upper and fiver lower connected by small shafts – the biggest chambers are as tall as three double decker buses! Despite this the structure is completely stable and although the chambers were not ventilated the air inside is clean although nothing lived in the spaces, no bats, rats and not even spiders, although there are a few stalactites upto 5m long inside a couple of them…!

They did have problems in the past, now there’s a tunnel built over the A4 road that runs below down by the river to stop ‘things’ landing on the cars below…but not everyone ends up as strawberry jam that takes the plunge…

In 1885 following an argument with a boyfriend Sarah Ann Henley from Bristol threw herself from the Bridge. Beneath her billowing dress she was wearing crinoline petticoats which slowed and cushioned her fall – and she had a huge helping of good fortune! She was injured but was pulled from the mud, eventually recovered, and died in 1948 at the grand old age of 84.

So there you have it, not an urban myth at all!