Brunel in Bristol

Author John Christopher takes us on a tour of Bristol through Brunel's finest works.

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Bristol and Brunel, the two are inseparable. What would the Avon Gorge be without the slender lines of the suspension bridge? The Floating Harbour without the iron-hulled Great Britain back in the dry dock where she was built, or the magnificent Great Western Railway without its Temple Meads station? Quite clearly that most celebrated of Victorian engineers, Isambard Kingdom Brunel - the 'Little Giant' in the stove-pipe hat - has contributed more iconic landmarks to the cityscape than anyone else. And in return Bristolians like to claim Brunel as their own, an 'adopted son' of the city, although it wasn't always an easy relationship. Brunel never lived in Bristol, but the city is home to the richest concentration of his surviving works to be found anywhere; not just the big stuff but also the less well known works including a number of 'other' bridges and at least three railways. John Christopher, an acknowledged expert on Brunel, takes us on a tour of Bristol, examining the relationship between city and engineer, and exploring his works. This is the latest in a series of books which are all about rediscovering the Brunel on your doorstep.