Thomas Telford was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland in 1757. He was dubbed ‘Colossus of Roads’ by the poet Robert Southey, but he was so much more than a road builder.

Talk about a handy guy to have around: Telford was a stonemason, an architect, a civil engineer, a bridge builder and a canal builder. Some of his most famous work is right here, in North Wales and has more than stood the test of time – we still have lots of examples of how the ‘Father of Civil Engineering’ changed the face of North Wales. Landmarks like the massive Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, built in 1793 to carry what we know today as the Llangollen Canal. And the Menai and Conwy Suspension Bridges, built as part of the improvements to the A5 road (yes, you guessed it, he built that, too).

www.thomastelford.info
www.bbc.co.uk/wales/
history