NOVEMBER, 2004


It seems most everywhere we go we run into his name: on bridges, on canals, on roadways, on harbors. There are towns named after him in England and Pennsylvania. We had to find out more about this man whose path we—and Home at First guests to England, Scotland, Wales, and Sweden—so often cross, the man the called "The Colossus of Roads".

THOMAS TELFORD didn’t invent the Industrial Revolution, but he was its first great star, a star of the order of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Bill Gates. He was the most glamorous and most sought after civil engineer of his time. He made engineering into a science and an art. He helped invent modern times, literally paving the way into the future. Like Elvis prepared the world for the Beatles, Telford caught the public’s imagination, making public acceptance easy for the geniuses that followed, especially Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
          Telford was a lowlands Scot, born August 9, 1757, near Langholm, Dumfries & Galloway, a few miles from the English border, and mid-way between dramatic Hermitage Castle and the ill-fated town of Locherbie. In this region where sheep vastly outnumber people, Telford was the son of a poor shepherd, and helped support the family as a shepherd until becoming an apprentice stonemason at 14. From the family farm at Bentpath (west of the A7 on the B709 in Eskdale), Telford’s path led to Scotland, England, Wales, and Sweden, and always went uphill. The path led ultimately to Westminster Abbey, where Telford, who died September 2, 1834, aged 77, was buried among the great kings and citizens of Britain.
          Along the way, the path of Thomas Telford crossed many paths familiar to us at Home at First. Join us as we journey with Telford to some of the fascinating destinations we share.

Telford's London-Holyhead Road (the
A5) passes through the highest region
of Wales at Capel Curig in Snowdonia.
Llynnau Mymbyr Lakes lie just west of
the A5 at Capel Curig, North Wales.
Mount Snowdon, highest peak in Britain
south of the Scottish Highlands is in the
 distance. Photo © Home at First.

In Wales — and especially in mountainous Snowdonia — the A5 trunk road was a real engineering challenge. West of Shrewsbury the road was often carved out of nature, and not an upgrade of existing roadways. Home at First guests to Northwestern Wales can drive the A5 on much the original alignment designed by Thomas Telford. The old iron bridge across the rushing Conwy River in charming Betws-y-Coed is a Telford original. The climb along from Betws up the River Llugwy to Capel Curig (pictured at left) toward Mt. Snowdon — highest point in England and Wales — was certainly a challenge. (The Llugwy is Grade 3 whitewater, with a Grade 4-5 falls just outside of Betws.) Dropping down from Capel Curig to the coast at Bangor also tested Telford’s skills.
        Simultaneously, Telford also was building a road

along the north coast of Wales, from the English border at medieval Chester to Bangor on the Menai Straits. Although much less a challenge than the mountains of Snowdonia, the coast did provide Telford an opportunity to demonstrate the artistry of his engineering in the wonderful iron chain suspension bridge at Conwy Castle. Home at First visitors to Northwestern Wales shouldn’t miss visiting the walled seaside town of Conwy with its superb 13th century castle (another UN listed World Heritage Site) and Telford’s complimentary castellated bridge.
        The biggest challenge occurred just beyond Bangor, when (in 1819-26) Telford threw his great Menai Suspension Bridge across the treacherous, deep narrows that separate the island of Anglesey from the

Telford's iron chain suspension bridge at
Conwy Castle was a tour de force of civil
engineering in its day. Telford showed
that a bridge was more than just a bridge
by making it mimic the 13th century
architecture of adjacent Conwy Castle.
Photo © Home At First

Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge (completed 1826) in
Wales remains the greatest work of "The Colossus of
Roads". It's still there, carrying modern traffic across
the treacherous Menai Straits, connecting Anglesey
Island to the mainland of Northwestern Wales.

Wales, or those traveling to/from Ireland via the Welsh ferry port at Holyhead. It remains Telford’s masterpiece.
        The great construction works in Scotland, England, and Wales earned Thomas Telford a nickname (bestowed upon him by no less a wordsmith than the Poet Laureate of England, Robert Southey): "the Colossus of Roads".