Between July 1761, when a navigable aqueduct opened on the Bridgewater
Canal at Barton-upon-Irwell, and July 1963, date of the completion of
the Thelwall Viaduct on the M6 near Warrington, Britain would see the
construction of a great number of aqueducts and viaducts. Emblems of the
industrial age, from unassuming arches built to carry canals over
streams to immense multi-span structures conveying railways across
estuaries or roads above plains, each bridge has its own distinctive
history and character. In this book, Victoria Owens takes a look at the
fascinating history behind some of the most iconic landmarks of the
British landscape, charting the ambitions of the engineers who designed
them, the endurance of the labourers who built them and the impact that
they have made upon the face of the nation. Numerous photographs
illustrate the text, and grid references give a guide to the bridges'
locations.