GP68 A very Merry Christmas to you all from Bristol by Keith Rodgerson

Epic 100

Clifton Bridge Bristol. Christmas week 2009

Happy Gigapanning in 2010.

Canon SX1 270 shots

Clifton Bridge spans the river Avon and connects the City of Bristol to Leigh Woods in Somerset. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed after his death in 1864. He won a competition to design a bridge here, but because the powers that be didn't believe that such a span could be built, he had to build a brick abutment on the Leigh Woods side to reduce the span. The chains used were second hand having been used on the original Hungerford bridge over the Thames in London. The river here is tidal although the sea (Bristol Channel) is over 5 miles downstream. This is why the water is kept in Bristol Docks by lock gates (the floating harbour) otherwise all craft ended up resting on the mud at low tide. They had to have extra strong hulls hence the phrase "shipshape and Bristol fashion!'See: share.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=27492 for a distant view from Dundry hill and www.gigapan.org/gigapans/50426/ for a night view with the bridge illuminated.

See also : It is the location of the first ever bungee jump in the world by the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club on 1st April 1979 www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8DLooHqJMc 
By night at: www.gigapan.org/gigapans/50414/
See another view of the bridge from Dundry share.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=26462 and www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=24574 and www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=27492 and balloons over the bridge at www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=30205. Balloons over the bridge at www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=30355