From
Network RailBorn on 9 April 1806, Isambard Kingdom Brunel is celebrated as an engineering genius.
His daring schemes and record-breaking structures are legacies that remain vital today. Like ‘father of the railways’ George Stephenson and his son, Robert Stephenson, Brunel’s work enormously influenced the development of the railway worldwide.
Brunel was the third child of Marc Brunel, a French engineer, and his English wife, Sophie Kingdom. Brunel started an apprenticeship with his father on the construction on the Thames Tunnel in London having studied in England and France.
He quickly became resident engineer to the project work and gained considerable experience of a large-scale and innovative construction project. Knowledge of brickwork and cement would stand him in good stead for his future career.