This Sunday’s Countryfile on BBC One celebrates the bicentenary of one of Britain’s most iconic engineering achievements, the Menai Suspension Bridge, and the vibrant natural and human history of the Menai Strait that it spans.
In an episode airing at 6 pm on 25 January 2026, presenters John Craven, Charlotte Smith and Adam Henson guide viewers through the story of how the majestic bridge first linked the Welsh mainland with the island of Anglesey – and how that connection has shaped people, farming, wildlife and heritage across two centuries.
Opened in 1826, the bridge was the bold vision of civil engineer Thomas Telford. At the time, it was a revolutionary structure, boasting the longest suspension span in the world. Its completion transformed travel between mainland Wales and Anglesey, replacing a dangerous ferry crossing over fast-moving tidal waters with a dependable route that strengthened trade, communication and daily life.
Before the bridge, journeys across the strait were often dictated by weather and tides. The new crossing brought safety and certainty, binding communities together and helping Anglesey play its role as a vital link between Britain and Ireland. Two hundred years on, the bridge remains not only a working piece of infrastructure but also a powerful symbol of connection.
Countryfile’s anniversary programme looks beyond stone and steel to the living landscape around the bridge. Beneath its elegant chains, the Menai Strait’s powerful currents create a unique marine environment, supporting rare wildlife and rich habitats. Along its shores, generations of farmers and fishing communities have adapted to the rhythms of tide and season, shaping a way of life that still endures.
The programme also reflects on the bridge’s cultural importance — how it has inspired artists, poets and engineers alike, and how it continues to define the identity of the area. Local stories, historical insight and present-day challenges of conservation all feature, showing how the bridge is not a relic of the past but a living part of modern Wales.
As the bicentenary is marked with events and reflections across the region, Countryfile’s visit offers a timely reminder: the Menai Suspension Bridge did more than span a stretch of water. For 200 years, it has connected people to each other, to their landscape, and to a shared heritage that continues to flow as strongly as the tides beneath it.
This week’s BBC Countryfile is on BBC One at 6 pm, Sunday 25 January 2026 and will then be available on iPlayer.
Photo: By Reading Tom from Reading, UK
