A Brief History of Barmouth Bridge
When the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway arrived at Fairbourne in 1865, it was only a matter of time before the railway and its benefits should make the relatively short hop over the estuary. Soon, work to bridge the estuary was started by the engineer Benjamin Piercy and a Darlington contractor, the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd. The bridge consisted of 113 timber spans and an eight span iron section. Each of the iron columns supporting the structure was around eight feet in diameter and had to sink 120 below sea level to find the rock floor. Also incorporated into the iron section was a rolling 'cock-and-draw' or 'over-draw' section which could be opened to allow tall sailing ships...