It was built to ferry horse-drawn carriages across a notoriously wild stretch of water, and was a crucial connection between two island nations during Europe’s industrial revolution.
When it was constructed in 1826, the bridge across the Menai Strait, between the north Wales mainland and the island of Anglesey, was a vision of the future. Suspended between the 1,368-foot gap at a height of 102 feet, this was the world’s first road suspension bridge to start construction. By the time it opened, it was the longest in the world, and remained so until the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883.
Perhaps more incredibly, the Menai Strait Bridge — or Pont Grog y Borth in Welsh — is still in use, over…