Britain's Greatest Bridges
Engineer Rob Bell tells the story of some of the most iconic and interesting bridges in the UK. Showing how they were designed and built, how engineers and architects overcame obstacles and the hazards the workers building them faced.
- 2016-2016
- 1 season
- Documentary
Engineer Rob Bell tells the story of some of the most iconic and interesting bridges in the UK. Showing how they were designed and built, how engineers and architects overcame obstacles and the hazards the workers building them faced.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2016
Episode 1
The Forth Rail Bridge
44 mins
Rob Bell begins the series by travelling to Scotland to discover the history of the iconic bridge crossing the Forth of Firth. Completed in 1890, the bridge now carries around 200 trains a day but was born from tragedy.
Episode 2
Tower Bridge
44 mins
Engineer Rob Bell travels to London to tell the story of the world famous Tower Bridge. This bridge spanning the River Thames was built to a revolutionary design and became a target for German V-1 flying bombs during WWII.
Episode 3
The Clifton Suspension Bridge
44 mins
Rob Bell tells the story behind the design and construction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famed bridge over the picturesque but precipitous Avon Gorge near Bristol, discovering that some question if it was all his own idea.
Episode 4
The Britannia Bridge
43 mins
Robert Stephenson took on the task of building this 100ft iron bridge across the Menai Strait, linking the island of Anglesey with the Welsh mainland. In 1970 four youths set it on fire, Rob speaks to one of the fireman who fought the fire.
Episode 5
The Tyne Bridge
43 mins
Engineer Rob Bell discovers that the Tyne Bridge is so important to Geordies because it provided work for shipbuilders during the 1920s recession and that it may have been the inspiration for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Episode 6
The Humber Bridge
44 mins
The Humber Bridge was, at the time of completion, the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world. Rob discovers the secrets of its construction, why it took so long to build and the effect it had on the people of Hull and Grimsby.