Brunel's Bristol Temple Meads: A Study of the Design and Construction of the Original Railway Station at Bristol Temple Meads, 1835-1965

This new title provides an in-depth study of the design and construction of Brunel's station complex at Bristol, evolved during the early years of his career, as the terminus of his Great Western Railway in the west country. Surviving to this day, it represented a significant contribution to the growing needs of a public experiencing for the first time the comfort and convenience of rail travel. It involved not only his architectural skills in the construction of the extensive buildings, but also the application of the then limited knowledge of structural engineering in the design of its now famous timber roof, which experience forced him to modify his original innovative design; a situation that is often not generally appreciated. The author has not only had access to the surviving drawings of the station but also the results of the extensive examination of the structure undertaken by consulting engineers during the 1990s. These details, coupled with minutes of the various committees involved during the original construction, have provided a unique perception of the station's history. The result is a deep insight into the background of engineering construction during the 1840s and, with it, admiration of Brunel's outstanding achievement using the facilities then available. The book concludes with a brief chapter covering the subsequent history of the station through to the 1960s, when the original Brunel platforms were taken out of service and the building listed Grade 1.