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Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Planex News Takes A Look At The Life Of The Extraordinary Victorian Engineer

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Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a Victorian engineer who was one of the main architects of Britain’s industrial revolution. He was famous for his leading work on both Britain’s railways and ships; building railways and designing bridges, tunnels, viaducts and passenger ships.

He built lots of bridges not just in London, but all across Britain. These included The Clifton Suspension Bridge (412m), The Royal Albert Bridge (667m), Maidenhead Railway Bridge (128ft), Wharncliffe Viaduct (270m), Winsor Railway Bridge, Gatehampton Railway Bridge, Moulsford Railway Bridge, Avon Bridge and Bishop’s Bridge.

Here are some amazing facts about Isambard Kingdom Brunel:

  1. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 9th April 1806, to a French father, Marc Brunel, and an English mother, Sophia Kingdom.
  2. He was educated in Normandy and England, with his parents giving him the best opportunities possible to learn the skills of an engineer. He completed an apprenticeship as a clockmaker.
  3. In 1822, Isambard took on his first job with his father, which was to oversee the construction of a tunnel underneath the River Thames in London. He was only 16 at the time! This tunnel was finally completed in 1843, despite work having to be stopped for eight years because of the tunnel constantly collapsing. Isambard himself sustained injuries as a result; however, the tunnel is still used by trains today.
  4. Eight years later, in 1830, Isambard won a design competition to build a bridge over the River Avon, and work began on the construction of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. However, due to financial difficulties and discord over the contract, he was unable to finish the structure before his death and the bridge was not fully completed until 1864.
  5. In 1833, Isambard was appointed chief engineer for the new Great Western Railway, tasked with building a railway between Bristol and London.
  6. His next project was the construction of Paddington Station in London, in 1854.
  7. On 31st January 1858, the Great Eastern steamship was launched, Isambard having won the rights to design the ship. At 211 metres in length and weighing 19,000 tonnes, it was the world’s biggest ship to date. The ship was built in London and capable of carrying either 4,000 passengers or 10,000 troops. However, it became damaged by an explosion on its maiden voyage and, after many years of difficulties, was eventually broken up for scrap in Liverpool in 1889.
  8. Isambard Kingdom Brunel died from a stroke, on 15th September 1859, aged only 53.
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