Britain’s Greatest Bridges

In the first of a new series, engineer Rob Bell examines Scotland’s Forth Rail Bridge, which was built in 1890 and declared a protected World Heritage Site last year.

In the first of a new series, engineer Rob Bell examines Scotland's Forth Rail Bridge, which was built in 1890 and declared a protected World Heritage Site last year

In the first of a new series, engineer Rob Bell  examines Scotland’s Forth Rail Bridge, which was built in 1890 and declared a protected World Heritage Site last year.

The cantilever bridge was an extraordinary feat of Victorian engineering, especially as it was to be the longest in the world at a mile-and-a-half.

From its ground-breaking design by John Fowler and Benjamin Baker, the raising of the bridge is a story of creative genius as well as human sacrifice.