The Chain Bridge LLangollen - 30.8. 2015

It had been 30 years since the Chain Bridge was last used before in was closed off to the public, due to needing repair. On May 28th 2015 the public came to see Eddie Butler, a presenter and rugby commentator officially open the bridge. 

It had been a long time since we had gone for a camera day out, I couldn't wait to walk over the bridge. Sue and Geraldine went exploring the area with cameras in hand. While I focused taking images of the bridge.

The image above is of The Chain Bridge Hotel where the bridge is situated in a beautiful area overlooking to the river Dee.

I had wanted to take the above image in sepia to give it the timely feel its history has.

The same image again taken from the Railway station side, this also shows part of the chain over the River Dee. The bridge has been rebuilt many times over the years it was first built in 1817 as a cheap transport crossing over the Dee River for coal, by Exuperius Pickering. It was in the 1870s that  Henry Robertson later rebuilt it followed by his son. 

Sir Henry Beyer Robertson in 1929 was able to reuse the old chain links as suspension cables and is responsible for how we see the bridge today.  

Apparently in 1818 a meeting in Ruabon with Pickering had taken place with French engineer Joseph - Michel Dutens. This led to Joseph surveying the bridge these detailed drawings were published a year later in his memoirs. They are also known to be the only plans existing of the original bridge.

I wanted to take these images to show how the chain is structured.

A river view of the middle of the Chain Bridge.

    The center structure which holds the chain.

Another view from the River Dee of the structure of the Chain Bridge which has only ever been a foot bridge.

The bridge is now part of the Pontcysllte World Heritage site, It will also allow tourists if they wish to plan a route either by steam train or horse drawn boat. There is also a beautiful walk back to llangollen down the canel path, not forgetting The Horse shoe falls just at the back of the Hotel to view just continue along the path past the Chain Bridge Hotel.

A view of kings Bridge crossing the River Dee, which was build in 1906 to commemorate the coronation of Edward V11. This meant that now horse and carts or the new invention of motorcars could cross.

The timely feel of sepia.

A view down river towards LLangollen from the bridge. 

I was lucky enough to be there at the time many were having fun.

I enjoy taking images of wood and seeing the different designs in the bark and colours.

The Hotel had lovely flowers by there entrance I couldn't resist taking images of them. I have know idea what there names are! 

There are information notice boards around to tell you about the history and walks near by.

                             For more imformation on the Chain Bridge or Hotel see below


https://www.hlf.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/historic-llangollen-chain-bridge-re-opened-public-after-30

http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=1409

         

https://www.chainbridgehotel.com/