Thomas the bridge builder
 A book was published today charting the achievements of one of Britain’s greatest engineers. On Tour With Thomas Telford, by Chris Morris, celebrates the Scottish-born engineer’s road, canal and bridge-building exploits in the UK and across Europe.
Telford, who died in 1834 aged 77, is credited with helping make the Industrial Revolution possible, particularly with his pioneering work building bridges. The most famous are the Menai Bridge, linking Anglesey to the Welsh mainland, and his two monumental aqueducts carrying the Llangollen Canal over the valleys of the rivers Ceiriog and Dee in north Wales. One of them, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, opened in 1805 and, at 121-feet high and 1,007ft long, is the highest and longest in Britain.
The book, which was launched at St Michael’s Church, in Madeley, Telford, Shropshire, also shows his work on the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, the Shropshire Union Canal and the Gota Canal in Sweden. Ports, road, harbours and railway projects he worked on around the country are also included. 
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