Visit us to find out all about the Tamar Estuary’s iconic bridges, the 20th century Tamar Bridge and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s 19th century Royal Albert Bridge.
You can find out about Brunel’s engineering genius, and compare it with the creation of the modern Tamar Bridge. As well as bridge building activities we offer guided tours of the bridges. We also have a lovely picnic area overlooking the river.
We are open 10am-4pm daily throughout the year except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. We may not be able to accommodate large groups unless a timeslot has been booked in advance. Please check our group visits page more for information. We offer schools workshops, and welcome families to come and enjoy our interactive displays.
We recommend spending a couple of hours here to look around the exhibition and join a guided tour. If you have longer the Bridge is ideally situated to explore the town of Saltash which has many independent shops and cafes. Although there is currently no dedicated shop or café at the Learning Centre we are working on a guidebook and postcards for visitors to purchase in the future.
Learn about life before the Royal Albert Bridge when the River Tamar effectively split the West country in two.
Build your own Royal Albert and Tamar Bridges.
Understand why working conditions were horrific within the cylinders of the Royal Albert Bridge.
Find out why Brunel’s bridge was good news for London flower sellers more than 200 miles away.
Enjoy a picnic overlooking the beautiful view of the river Tamar.
Enjoy a guided tour of the bridges with our friendly guides.
Listen to the stories of people involved in the bridges, including someone who fell off the Tamar Bridge when he worked on it!
Find out about different kinds of bridges – beam bridges, truss bridges, arch bridges and suspension bridges.
Hear about the numerous ideas for bridges and tunnels to cross the Tamar that were never built, such as the Weston Mill Tunnel, Torpoint Tunnel and a southern bridge.
Visit Saltash with its independent shops and cafes.
