In 1787 Telford was engaged to carry out repairs to Shrewsbury Castle, at the same time the local magistrates were considering plans for a new gaol and John Howard, the prison reformer asked Telford to prepare plans as he considered the originals to be too cramped. The prison is still in use and Howard's bust is displayed over Telford's gatehouse.
EL/32C/7

From 1787 Telford was employed as county surveyor for Shropshire, a post which included responsibility for the excavation of the Roman town of Viroconivm at Wroxeter.
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St Michael's Church, Madeley, designed by Thomas Telford in 1794 to replace an earlier church which had become unsafe. Madeley is now part of the new town of Telford, named after Thomas because of his extensive work in the county.
C/32A/2

In 1793 Telford began work on a system of canals linking North Wales and the River Severn to the River Mersey at Ellesmere Port. To feed the Llangollen arm of the canal he constructed the Horseshoe Falls on the River Dee at Llantisilio.
C47A/13

At Longdon on the Shrewsbury Canal the canal has to cross the River Tern, the engineers' original plan for brick piers had to be abandoned because the foundations kept being washed away and Telford was engaged to help solve the problem. The idea of a cast iron trough was suggested by a member of the canal committee and the ironwork carried out by another, but it undoubtedly served as a prototype for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and was the first to be built of iron plates bolted together.
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Chirk Aqueduct, built between 1796 and 1801. A base of bolted cast iron plates with stone sides is carried on ten masonry arches 70 feet over the River Ceiriog.
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Pontcysyllte Aqueduct opened in 1805. A cast iron trough 11 feet 10 inches wide carried on 18 stone piers 127 feet over the River Dee.
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The Caledonian Canal at Corpach with Ben Nevis in the background. Although only 22miles of waterway had to be constructed the Caledonian Canal presented Telford with many unexpected problems. It opened in 1822, but due to the increase in the size of shipping had to be virtually rebuilt in 1847.
SW/58N1B/4

While working on these canal projects, Telford was also preparing reports on improving the roads and bridges in Scotland. Tongland Bridge was built in 1805.
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Craigellachie Bridge built in 1812.
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In 1810 Telford was asked to prepare a proposal for the improvement of the road from Shrewsbury to Holyhead, an important route for travellers to Ireland. Little was done until 1815 when Irish MP Sir Henry Parnell pushed parliament to proceed. Above is one of Telford's numerous toll houses, this one is at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey.
C/50A/20

At Bangor Telford was faced with the problem of crossing the Menai Straits. His solution was the Menai Bridge. The two 153 foot high piers allow ample clearance for shipping and an embankment 1300 yards long carried the road across the mudflats on the mainland side. The first vehicle to cross the bridge was the London Mail Coach on 30 January 1826.
GLY/50M1B/1

The cast iron Waterloo Bridge at Betws-y-Coed across the River Conwy. The bridge bears the inscription THIS ARCH WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE SAME YEAR THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO WAS FOUGHT (1815!).
B/47B/1

Telford's road, now known as the A5 and still the main route through north Wales passing Llyn Ogwen in Nant Ffrancon.
GLY/50S2A/20

Not on the Shrewsbury road, but the road to Chester and the north of England, the bridge at Conwy was another suspension bridge with turrets designed to blend in with the Castle.
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Mythe Bridge over the River Severn near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, built in 1826.
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The Mythe Bridge toll house.
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Over Bridge across the River Severn west of Gloucester, built in 1829. The cutaway arch, apart from making the arch look flatter, was intended to reduce the possibility of damage by ice which had led to the demolition of the previous bridge on the site.
B/15C/19

Stretton Aqueduct on the Shropshire Union Canal, built in 1832 across the A5 near Wolverhampton.
B/34A/14

Monument to Thomas Telford at Bentpath near Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway near where Telford was born.
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