Waterloo Bridge, Betws-y-Coed

Waterloo Bridge is an early cast iron bridge, spanning the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy county borough, north-west Wales and designed by Thomas Telford. The ironwork was produced by William Hazledine at Plas Kynaston. William Suttle is identified as Foreman (probably the works manager in modern terms).

The bridge is located about half a mile south-east of the village. Unfortunately, there is no ready access for closely studying this fine piece of work.

An inscription on the arch records that it was constructed in the year of the Battle of Waterloo, but although designed and constructed in 1815, its erection was not completed that year. It was raised as part of building the road from London to Holyhead (now the A5).

In 1923, the bridge’s masonry abutments were refurbished, and its superstructure was strengthened by encasing the inner three ribs in concrete. A 7" reinforced cantilevered concrete deck was also added, which provided extra space for new footways; the cast iron parapet railings were re-erected on the outside of the new footways. Mouchel and Partners were the engineers.

In 1978, a new 10"/250mm reinforced concrete deck was added and the masonry abutments were also strengthened.

1816 Report

'A beautiful .bridge over the river Conway, on the new improved line of Holyhead road, near to the village of Bettws y Coed, has been executed by Mr. Hazledine, of Shrewsbury, and recently opened to the public. This superb arch is constructed entirely of cast iron, 105 feet in the span, and for novelty, elegance, and lightness of structure, as well for originality and appropriateness of design, is not to be equalled in Britain. The main rib is composed of letters, which inform the traveller - " This arch was constructed in the same year the battle of Waterloo was fought,” and are distinctly legible at the distance of a quarter of a mile. On a nearer approach is finely exhibited the emblems of the nation by whom the battle was won, and at whose expence the bridge was erected. The Rose, the Thistle, the Shamrock, and the Leek, compose the whole of each spandril of the arch, and exhibit, in cast iron, the flowers they represent, as perfect as the painter’s pencil thus standing a proud and incontestible monument of the superiority of our countrymen in science, as well as in arts. Nor is the new road, along which, by means of this bridge, the traveller is enabled to gain the summit of the heretofore impassable Hill of Dinas, scarcely an object of less wonder, being reduced from an acclivity in many places of one yard in six, to a perfectly easy ascent, forming altogether one of the most perfect and striking instances of the power of art over nature to be found in this or any other country.'

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Wikipedia
• 'The Iron Bridge' by Neil Cossons & Barrie Trinder, Phillimore & Co, 2002