As we walked back towards the docks in Bristol after going up to see the Clifton Suspension bridge, we crossed over to the other side of the locks that are at the end of the harbor.  There we came across another artifact of the industrial history of the city which I knew nothing of previously.  Since it is Bristol, no great shock that it was something that Brunel created.

This was an old swing bridge that would span the locks.  Apparently, it was in use for many years before being withdrawn when a modern bridge was built to supersede it in 1968.  It was close to being scrapped at that point but thankfully wasn’t.  Now it is sitting on the side of the lock while waiting to undergo restoration.    It certainly needs some work at this point, and it is strange to think that it was the main route across the locks for decades.