Grade I listed, this is one of the first road suspension bridges in the world and is now cared for by the National Trust. It is right by Conwy Castle and is free to access. It’s an incredibly impressive structure and you can get some really good views of it from the top of the castle as well as at ground level.
It was built in 1822-1826 by Thomas Telford to span the River Conwy as a replacement for a ferry crossing at the same site. Originally it had wooden decking and iron chains but those were strengthened and replaced by an iron roadway and wire cables in 1903.
A road bridge built alongside the suspension bridge in 1988 made the suspension bridge obsolete so it is now used as a footbridge and tourist site.
One interesting part of the bridge is the original Toll Keepers House (closed when I visited though I understand it is sometimes open to the public). It was here that a family of six lived in the 1890s, their job to take the tolls for the bridge and ensure it was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They even created their own little garden where they grew vegetables which they sold to people crossing the bridge.
It’s a pleasant place for a quick walk and to get a nice look at the surrounding countryside.
Louise Jayne's Blog 