Brunel's railway bridge at Maidenhead

This famous railway bridge over the Thames at Maidenhead with its elegant brick arches broke new ground in structural engineering.

As a conduit for the steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway, the bridge also can be seen as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

The bridge crosses over the Thames at Maidenhead near London and was designed in 1838 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The brick arches were the widest and flattest in the world. Each span is 128ft, with a rise of only 24ft.

Walking under the right-hand arch, known as the Sounding Arch, you can sample the echo.

The glimpse of the earlier stone bridge, seen through one of the arches, points to the technology of an earlier age. It was constructed in the 1770s and carried the toll road at a crossing point which had been in use since the early stone age.

Photograph Select Ideas 2003 © copyright.

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