Box Tunnel West Portal Architecture Completed
The western entrance is finished with a more elaborate architectural treatment than the simpler eastern portal.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Biography and Timeline — Page 7
Follow Isambard Kingdom Brunel through 477 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
477Distinct records
7 of 12Page
1841–1843Years on this page
1841
Box Tunnel Workforce Expanded
Brunel pushes the main contractor to increase the Box Tunnel workforce from about twelve hundred to four thousand men.
Chippenham GWR Crossing
The viaduct opens with the completed Great Western route.
Chippenham Railway Viaduct
Completes the principal railway viaduct at Chippenham.
Chippenham Viaduct Opens
Brunel's railway viaduct at Chippenham opens with the completed Great Western route.
Great Western Main Line Reaches 116 Miles
The completed London-to-Bristol main line extends roughly 116 miles and embodies Brunel's integrated railway design.
Quaker's Yard Viaduct
Completes the Quaker's Yard viaduct for the Taff Vale Railway.
Sydney Gardens Footbridge
Completes a railway footbridge through Sydney Gardens in Bath.
Taff Vale Viaduct Completed
The crossing supports rail access for the South Wales iron industry.
Bath London Through Services Established
Completion of the remaining main line made uninterrupted railway journeys possible between Bath and London.
Box Tunnel Links Bath To East
Opening the Box Tunnel completed the route through the hills east of Bath and connected the Avon valley to Chippenham.
Bath Spa Rail Connectivity Expands
The fully connected Great Western route improved Bath's access to London and Bristol by rail.
Avon Railway Crossing Carries Through Traffic
The new route's masonry structures supported regular broad gauge passenger and goods trains through the Avon valley.
Bath To Chippenham Railway Connection Opens
The completion of the eastern section established a continuous railway journey from Bath toward Chippenham.
Bath Stone Railway Engineering Showcased
Masonry work on the railway integrated bridges and station buildings with the region's Bath stone architectural tradition.
Bath Tunnel Approaches Enter Service
The railway approaches toward Box Tunnel carried trains eastward from Bath on the completed main line.
Chippenham Avon Viaduct Carries Trains
The viaduct carried regular railway traffic once the completed Great Western route opened through the town.
Chippenham Box Tunnel Link Established
Opening the long Box Tunnel connected Chippenham by rail with Bath and the Bristol section beyond.
Chippenham Bristol Through Route Opens
Passengers could travel directly from Chippenham to Bristol following completion of the main line.
Chippenham London Through Route Established
The completed Great Western line enabled a continuous railway journey between Chippenham and Paddington.
Wiltshire Main Line Engineering Completed
Brunel's completion of the missing Wiltshire works joined the separately operating sections of the railway.
Chippenham Becomes Intermediate Railway Station
The town ceased to be a temporary terminus and became a through station on the London to Bristol main line.
Chippenham Rail Bridge Clearances Established
The route's bridges and structures reflected the generous clearances adopted for Brunel's broad gauge trains.
Clifton Suspension Tower Building Continues
Stone towers rose above the gorge while work on abutments and chain anchorage structures proceeded.
Hungerford Bridge Foundations Constructed
Work progressed on the foundations and river supports needed for the Thames pedestrian suspension bridge.
1842
HMS Rattler
Brunel assists the Royal Navy in fitting HMS Rattler with screw propulsion and suitable engines.
Clifton Anchor Tunnels Completed
The bridge towers, abutments and four anchor tunnels are substantially completed before the project again runs short of money.
Great Britain Chain-Drive Machinery Developed
The ship's machinery uses a large chain drive to transmit engine power to the screw propeller.
South Entrance Lock Enlargement Begins
Work began on rebuilding the southern Cumberland Basin entrance to admit larger vessels using Bristol's port.
Avon Valley Goods Traffic Develops
The Great Western Railway offered merchants a more direct land transport route for goods moving through the Bath area.
Clifton Tower And Anchorage Works Finished
The towers abutments and principal anchor tunnels had been substantially completed by 1842.
Hungerford Stone Towers Under Construction
Masonry towers were built to support the suspension chains and the elevated pedestrian deck.
Four Chain Anchor Tunnels Completed
Work on the original Clifton bridge scheme produces four anchorage tunnels by 1842, alongside the towers and abutments intended to secure the proposed iron chains.
Original Piers And Abutments Stand Ready
The principal stone piers and abutments of Brunel's original design are substantially complete by 1842, despite the continued absence of a suspended roadway.
1843
Swindon Railway Works
The Great Western Railway works open at New Swindon and become a major centre for locomotive engineering.
Thames Tunnel
The Thames Tunnel opens to pedestrians after eighteen years of construction begun under Marc and Isambard Brunel.
Medical Emergency
Brunel accidentally inhales a half-sovereign coin and later designs equipment to help remove it.
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain is launched as the largest ship in the world and a pioneering iron screw steamship.
Prince Albert Attends Great Britain Launch
Prince Albert attends the public launch of SS Great Britain in Bristol's Floating Harbour.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Funds are exhausted and construction stops before the chains and roadway can be completed.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.