Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 – 1859)

A plaque to celebrate Brunel’s bicentenary was installed on the side of the old Great Western Railway Station building in November 2006. The work for which Brunel is probably best remembered is his construction of a network of tunnels, bridges and viaducts for the Great Western Railway. In 1833, he was appointed their chief engineer and work began on the line that linked London to Bristol, noted for its introduction of broad gauge in place of standard gauge. Brunel was also responsible for the design of several famous ships. The ‘Great Western’, launched in 1837, was the first steamship to engage in transatlantic service; the ‘Great Britain’, launched in 1843, was the world’s first iron-hulled, screw propeller-driven, steam-powered passenger liner; and the ‘Great Eastern’, designed in cooperation with John Scott Russell, was by far the biggest ship ever built up to the time of its launch in 1859. Brunel was also responsible for the redesign and construction of many of Britain’s major docks, including Bristol, Monkwearmouth, Cardiff and Milford Haven. He died of a stroke at the age of 53.