The names of John Hawkshaw and William Barlow can be seen at the top of the Clifton pier. They were the consulting engineers who completed the construction of the Bridge to an amended design following the death of Brunel. Both Hawkshaw and Barlow were eminent engineers of the day and were made Fellows of the Royal Society (FRS).

Hawkshaw designed the Hungerford Bridge over the River Thames into the then new railway station at Charing Cross. The 'old' Hungerford Bridge designed by Brunel in the 1840s was dismantled to make way for it and the chains were used at Clifton. (Nothing new about 'recycling' then !).  He was also engineer for the Severn Railway Tunnel.

Barlow is famous for his work with railways, in particular with the Midland Railway and St Pancras railway station in London. He invented a new system of rails which were wide enough to be laid down directly onto ballast without the use of sleepers.  The system was initially used by Brunel in the Dare and Aman branch in South Wales but failed.  The track was torn up and in yet another case of 'recycling' a stock of the rails was re-worked and used to construct the Clevedon Pier, which was completed in 1869.  The pier is on the North Somerset coast just 10 miles from the Bridge. Clevedon seafront and the pier featured in "The Remains Of The Day" starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.