The legend of Thomas Telford
After leaving Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch we headed further South toward the tip of the Island of Anglesey. We had done this exact same detour on our previous trip in 2002 but I had found Wales more to my liking than Ireland and was looking forward to the upcoming stop. We were headed for Beaumaris Castle. Our route took us along the treacherous tidal strait that separates Anglesey from the rest of the Welsh mainland. One of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th Century was Thomas Telford's Bridge across the Menai Strait. This was one of over 1000 bridges Telford designed. In the next few days we would learn that Telford seemed to have a hand in every bridge and building we passed throughout Northern England and Scotland.
Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the ear... ... read more 
