What
An information centre for visitors to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It tells the story of how the bridge across the Avon Gorge was built and its eventual completion as a memorial to the 19th-century mechanical and civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Opened
The first visitor centre opened in Clifton Village on the Bristol side of the bridge in 1996 but relocated to a temporary structure on the North Somerset side in 2006.
Collection
The centre houses a small collection of souvenirs and memorabilia. “Visitors are able to cross the bridge on foot free of charge and admire the views of Bristol and the 75-metre drop to the River Avon below,” says Laura Hilton, the visitor services manager.
“The displays consist of souvenirs of the bridge – from china, needle cases, collectors’ cards and medallions – to stalactites collected from the chambers in the abutments, that were discovered in 2002.”
Nuts, bolts and bits of bridge can also be seen, as can a section of the iron bar once used to transport people from one side of the gorge to the other in a wicker basket that was suspended beneath. The centre also runs guided tours. The Grade-I Listed bridge itself is the star attraction.
Help at hand
There is one full-time member of staff and a team of 32 volunteers. A community learning and volunteer officer will start in June.
Budget
As part of a charitable trust the centre relies on donations, tour bookings and purchases from the shop. Admission is free.
Highlights
Hilton points out some early photographic images showing the final phases of the construction of the bridge in the 1860s. “As an imposing piece of architecture gradually spanning a 213-metre gap, the bridge really lent itself to early photography,” she says.
Visitors
500,000 pedestrians cross the bridge each year, and 60,000 of these come through the doors of the information centre.
Sticky moments
There have been several, and not all to do with windy weather in the gorge that makes the bridge swing.
“On 26 August 2006, Harry Bessant was born on the bridge as his parents Emily and Andrew rushed to the hospital from Portishead,” Hilton says. “Harry was at least the second baby to be born on the crossing.”
She also remembers an off-course balloonist who almost flew into the bridge at the start of rush hour. They came within feet of the structure and just managed to gain clearance.
Survival tip
“Make sure that your donation points are in the right locations,” says Hilton. “By experimenting with the placement of ours, we were able to almost double our income. Previously, visitors to the bridge who were made aware of our charitable status did not always donate as they did not know how to do so.”
Current project
A purpose-built heritage and learning centre will be unveiled in December 2014 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. A £595,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant is supporting the project. The money will also be used to employ a community learning officer at the visitor centre for three years.
www.cliftonbridge.org.uk
An information centre for visitors to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It tells the story of how the bridge across the Avon Gorge was built and its eventual completion as a memorial to the 19th-century mechanical and civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Opened
The first visitor centre opened in Clifton Village on the Bristol side of the bridge in 1996 but relocated to a temporary structure on the North Somerset side in 2006.
Collection
The centre houses a small collection of souvenirs and memorabilia. “Visitors are able to cross the bridge on foot free of charge and admire the views of Bristol and the 75-metre drop to the River Avon below,” says Laura Hilton, the visitor services manager.
“The displays consist of souvenirs of the bridge – from china, needle cases, collectors’ cards and medallions – to stalactites collected from the chambers in the abutments, that were discovered in 2002.”
Nuts, bolts and bits of bridge can also be seen, as can a section of the iron bar once used to transport people from one side of the gorge to the other in a wicker basket that was suspended beneath. The centre also runs guided tours. The Grade-I Listed bridge itself is the star attraction.
Help at hand
There is one full-time member of staff and a team of 32 volunteers. A community learning and volunteer officer will start in June.
Budget
As part of a charitable trust the centre relies on donations, tour bookings and purchases from the shop. Admission is free.
Highlights
Hilton points out some early photographic images showing the final phases of the construction of the bridge in the 1860s. “As an imposing piece of architecture gradually spanning a 213-metre gap, the bridge really lent itself to early photography,” she says.
Visitors
500,000 pedestrians cross the bridge each year, and 60,000 of these come through the doors of the information centre.
Sticky moments
There have been several, and not all to do with windy weather in the gorge that makes the bridge swing.
“On 26 August 2006, Harry Bessant was born on the bridge as his parents Emily and Andrew rushed to the hospital from Portishead,” Hilton says. “Harry was at least the second baby to be born on the crossing.”
She also remembers an off-course balloonist who almost flew into the bridge at the start of rush hour. They came within feet of the structure and just managed to gain clearance.
Survival tip
“Make sure that your donation points are in the right locations,” says Hilton. “By experimenting with the placement of ours, we were able to almost double our income. Previously, visitors to the bridge who were made aware of our charitable status did not always donate as they did not know how to do so.”
Current project
A purpose-built heritage and learning centre will be unveiled in December 2014 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. A £595,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant is supporting the project. The money will also be used to employ a community learning officer at the visitor centre for three years.
www.cliftonbridge.org.uk