Royal Mail stamps celebrate landmark bridges

Royal Mail vans in the locations the bridges are situated will feature an image of the relevant stamp

The latest set of first class stamps depict 10 of the UK's most dramatic bridges.

Images range from humble stone crossings dating back centuries, through to landmarks of engineering and symbolic structures.

Royal Mail said the series demonstrates "leaps in engineering" by progressive architects and engineers.

It will also issue a special postmark across the country to mark the stamps' release.

Tarr Steps dates back to before the 1600s, while Row Bridge was built in the 1700s

The oldest bridge is the Tarr Steps, which crosses the River Barle in Exmoor National Park, while the Peace Bridge, spanning the River Foyle in Northern Ireland, was completed in 2011.

The ten featured bridges:

Tarr Steps (pre-1600s) - Exmoor

Row Bridge (1700s) - Lake District

Pulteney Bridge (1774) - Bath

Thomas Telford's Craigellachie Bridge (1814) - Moray

Pont Grog y Borth/Menai Suspension Bridge (1826)

Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge (1849) - Newcastle/Gateshead

Royal Border Bridge (1850) - Berwick-upon-Tweed

Tees Transporter Bridge (1911) - Middlesbrough

Humber Bridge (1981)

Peace Bridge (2011) - Northern Ireland

The Menai Suspension Bridge, which links the island of Anglesey to the mainland in North Wales, is described by Royal Mail as one of the most breathtaking ever built in Britain.

Some of the bridges carry trains, some road traffic, while the High Level Bridge carries both

Andrew Hammond, head of stamps and collectibles at Royal Mail, said: "The story of Britain's engineering genius can be found in its bridges.

"These new stamps celebrate 10 beautiful and ground-breaking landmarks that span centuries of our history."