Clifton Suspension Bridge

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Lonely Planet review

Clifton's most famous (and photographed) landmark is another Brunel masterpiece, the 76m-high Clifton Suspension Bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge over to Leigh Woods in northern Somerset. It's a graceful sight, and one of Britain's most elegant bridges. Though construction work began in 1836, Brunel died before the bridge's completion in 1864.

It was designed to carry light horse-drawn traffic and foot passengers, but these days around 12,000 motor vehicles cross it daily - testament to the quality of Brunel's original design. It's also a magnet for stunt artists and suicides; in 1885 Sarah Ann Hedley jumped from the bridge after a lovers' tiff, but her voluminous petticoats parachuted her to earth and she lived to be 85.