The Conwy Suspension Bridge, completed in 1826 to a design by Thomas Telford, is a remarkable piece of early industrial engineering that has been preserved almost exactly as Telford built it. The slender iron chains and castellated towers sit immediately beside the medieval castle — an intentional design choice, since Telford matched the battlemented stone of the towers to their 13th-century neighbour.
The bridge is now a pedestrian crossing maintained by the National Trust, and you can walk across it for a small fee. The toll booth at the far end has been restored to its Victorian appearance. It is a short walk and a short detour, but standing on the bridge with the castle looming above and the estuary below gives you a good sense of why Conwy has been considered one of the most picturesque spots in Wales since the 18th century. A third, far less photogenic, road bridge built in 1958 carries modern traffic beside it.