On Tour with Thomas Telford by Chris Morris

This book is a visual celebration of Thomas Telford's engineering and architecture, much of which remains today. It is not intended to be a complete catalogue; while all the major works are included, many minor ones are not (particularly in Scotland where there are literally hundreds of road bridges and dozens of churches to be found). There is little mention of work which no longer exists.

The book's title, On Tour with Thomas Telford, is a reflection of the great man's itinerant lifestyle and suggests a geographical format. But it also flows roughly chronologically - many of the projects took several years to realise and so ran concurrently. The book is not academic or technical, but each chapter provides enough information to view the images in context.

If Telford could come on tour today he would find many changes to his works - bridges widened and strengthened, harbours extended, churches embellished; he would also find canals meticulously maintained (though nowadays for recreation rather than commerce). He would come upon other bridges that, by-passed, stand as monuments to his genius, and if he visited his churches at Mallinslea and Madeley he would find himself in the centre of a modern metropolis named after him.

I have not disguised these changes for I believe that despite them Telford's original concepts shine through. Neither have I tried to isolate his works in a time warp: in fact, I have embraced facets of modern life that happily interact with his two-hundred-year-old legacy.

Chris Morris

August 2004