Legend has it that King Arthur was born in Tintagel, Cornwall (England) thanks to the magic of Merlin. The wizard transformed Uther Pendragon, King of Great Britain, into the Duke of Cornwall and helped him cross a dangerous passageway to access Tintagel Castle and spend the night with Ygerna, wife of the real Duke, with whom he was madly in love. Months later the duchess gave birth to Arthur, who over the years would become king of Camelot.
Before the 15th century, there was a bridge over which one could safely cross to Tintagel Castle, but latter the bridge disappeared and access to the castle became a dangerous business. You had to cross an unsafe wooden bridge, which was the passage through which Uther Pendragon crossed, and go up and down a series of stairs along the cliffs. It was not until 2019 that the construction of a bridge was decided, which, in the opinion of experts, is the most beautiful in the world, apart from being a unique engineering work.
The new bridge is part of a $7 million initiative invested in improvements to all footpaths around Tintagel Castle carried out by English Heritage. This independent charity is dedicated to the conservation of more than 400 monuments, buildings and sites across Great Britain.
Those in charge of carrying out the work were William Matthews Associates, Practice Architectural and engineers from Ney & Partners.
The challenge was given by its location on top of a cliff, the strong winds and the restrictions imposed by its historical and ecological importance.
The bridge is located at an altitude of 58 meters, between two cliffs, and connects the mainland with the island through two independent steel cantilevers 29 meters long and 2.5 meters wide that meet in the middle but with a separation of 40 mm, which at first glance gives the sensation of emptiness and represents the transition from the continent to the island, symbolizing the present and the past, history and legend.
It is made from 43 tons of stainless steel, local Cornish Delabole slate tiles and oak handrails. Simple, resistant and beautiful, the Tintagel Bridge has been open since last August, attracting more than 3,500 daily visitors.
