▁was ▁for ▁a ▁susp ension ▁bridge ▁with ▁fashion ably ▁Egypt ian - infl uen ced ▁to wers . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁newly ▁discovered ▁letters ▁and ▁documents ▁revealed ▁that , ▁in ▁producing ▁his ▁design , ▁Brun el ▁had ▁taken ▁advice ▁from ▁his ▁father , ▁Sir ▁Marc ▁Is amb ard ▁Brun el . ▁The ▁elder ▁Brun el ▁had ▁recommended ▁including ▁a ▁central ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁bridge , ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁believe ▁a ▁single - span ▁bridge ▁of ▁such ▁length ▁could ▁be ▁constructed . ▁His ▁son ▁chose ▁to ▁ignore ▁his ▁advice . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁A ▁ceremony ▁to ▁mark ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁construction ▁works ▁was ▁held ▁Monday ▁ 2 0 ▁June ▁ 1 8 3 1 . ▁Work ▁started ▁on ▁bl ast ing ▁of ▁St . ▁Vincent ' s ▁Rock , ▁on ▁the ▁Cl if ton ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁g orge . ▁Four ▁months ▁later ▁work ▁was ▁halt ed ▁by ▁the ▁Br istol ▁ri ots , ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁after ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁rejected ▁the ▁second ▁Reform ▁Bill , ▁which ▁aim ed ▁to ▁eliminate ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁ro tt en ▁bor ough s ▁and ▁give ▁parliament ary ▁seats ▁to ▁Britain ' s ▁fast ▁growing ▁industrial ▁towns ▁such ▁as ▁Br istol . ▁Five ▁to ▁six ▁hundred ▁young ▁men ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁ri ots ▁and ▁Brun el ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁as ▁a ▁special ▁const able . ▁The ▁ri ots ▁sever ely ▁dent ed ▁commercial ▁confidence ▁in ▁Br istol ; ▁subscri ptions ▁to ▁the ▁bridge ▁company ▁ceased , ▁and