Brunel's Maidenhead bridge turns 180 years old

This week marks 180 years since the opening of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's bridge across the Thames in Maidenhead.

Designed by Brunel himself, the railway bridge now carries up to 28 train services every hour since it was unveiled to the town in 1839.

The river in Maidenhead is nearly 100 yards wide and the Thames Commissioners stipulated a brick bridge that must not obstruct the navigation channel or the towpath. Brunel's solution was to design two of the widest and flattest brick arches that have ever been constructed.

The total length of the bridge is 778 ft, while each arch has a span of 128ft and a height at the centre of 24ft 3 in.

In the 1880's the line was widened to cope with increased traffic, providing two extra tracks.

Great Western Railway bosses considered demolishing the brick bridge and replacing it with an iron girder bridge, however it was decided this would damage the environment, so Brunel's bridge was strengthened and widened by 15ft on each side.

Tom Langley from the Maidenhead Heritage Centre said: “When the railway bridge opened in 1839 it changed the fortunes of Maidenhead overnight, which had developed as a coaching town on the road from London to Bath.

“The railway allowed people to travel out from London more easily, and the town was reinvented as a weekend holiday resort on the ‘Thames Riviera’.

“The bridge is a remarkable piece of brickwork built by one of our most celebrated engineers. Its really exciting to think that the bridge will carry Crossrail for future generations to come.“