Ian Waller and his family discover some of the hidden secrets of one of Bristol’s best loved attractions
There is more to the Clifton Suspension Bridge than you might realise. Yes, it’s a wonderful icon of Bristol, an amazing feat of Victorian engineering and a great place to visit, but did you also know that a secret world of caverns, stalactites and hidden passageways exists beneath one of the towers?
And best of all, you’re welcome to pay it a visit, making a great activity for the summer hols!
It turns out that back in 2002, a gentleman by the name of Ray Brown discovered a secret entrance that led down into the darkness below the Leigh Wood side tower of the bridge, while he was taking part in some renovation work. Within no time, brave people in hard hats were queueing up to descend into the depths to see what was down there.
And what they discovered was a 12 massive underground vaults, not seen for over 150 years and providing a wonderful insight into the construction techniques used by bridge designer and engineer in a big hat, IK Brunel.
The great news now is that thanks to the lovely people who look after the bridge, you can book don a hard hat and reflective jacket and enjoy an adventure to discover these vaults for yourself.
We booked in for a 1.15pm visit – late to allow the teenagers emerge from their slumbers – and met up with a small group of other explorers at the Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitors Centre. Actually, this free to enter centre is worth a visit on its own, offering plenty in the way of history and accessibly science about the bridge, as well as Mr Brunel, its chief designer.
At the appointed moment, we were all gathered together, issued hard hats and jackets, shown a safety film and set out to explore. Our first stop was at the base of one of the main towers, the sight where Ray had discovered the entrance and perfect for our lovely guide, Laura, to explain some of the history of the bridge and why the caverns had remained a secret for so long.
Laura also told us about the remarkable ‘suspended traveller’ system – basically a basket hanging under a long metal pole – that was used during the bridge’s construction to ferry workman over the gorge, speeding up their travel from one side to another. Apparently, the system became so popular that members of the public could pay to have a go!
From here it was a short walk, followed by a descent down a ladder, before we entered the first cavern. Wow, this is amazing! A huge vaulted chamber about 36ft high with its arched ceiling covered in a dazzling array of string stalactites. Oh yes, and as Laura explained, if you can’t remember which is which – stalactites – hold tight, stalamites – it might fall over.
It turns out that these super delicate stalactites are formed by rain soaking through the stonework above, absorbing calcium carbonate along the way and turning into these remarkable structures, each of which grows at a rate of about 4cm a year. You see, the trip is educational too…
In fact, one of the bulkier stalactites is call Amy after the lady who discovered it…
This first vault is pretty much covered in old stonework and bits of the gorge itself which makes up one of the walls, apparently thrown in through a trapdoor way above, with the belief no-one was ever likely to see it again. From here, it was heads down for a short walk through a low tunnel to the next chamber and the chance for a little bit of fun science.
It was time to experience the wonderful echoes produced by the chambers with the simple process of popping a balloon, only for the sound to bounce off the walls around us with a rumbling report that lasted about five seconds.
Next up, it was time to turn the lights out and experience the pure darkness of the vaults. “It’s because of this absolute lack of light that nothing lives down here,” explained Laura, before admitting that they did actually once discover a slug, which she called Brian, before taking him to his freedom outside.
Throughout out trip Laura was an amazing source of stories and information, as well as answering all questions with impressive ease and expertise.
While we weren’t allows to visit all of the chambers, this glimpse into the secret world of Clifton Suspension was absolutely fascinating and certainly worth the £10 per adult and £7 per child ticket price. Plus, if you have a bit of time left, you can pay a visit to slidey rock and the Clifton Observatory cafe, museum and Camera Obscura.