Engineering is in many ways a field of endeavour which is broadly appreciated but perhaps a little overlooked. That, however, is entirely unfair as it is in many ways feats of engineering which represent some of the greatest achievements in UK history. With that in mind, therefore, let’s take a closer look at the history of engineering beginning with its earliest forms and the etymology of the word itself.
Earliest Examples & Etymology
Engineering as a concept or an activity has existed since ancient times. Our modern understanding of the term, being the application of mechanical solutions and expertise to construct things or to solve problems, can be applied to a vast array of different examples in the ancient world.
The use and application of levers, for instance, is an example of the earliest forms of engineering, as is the invention and many uses of the wheel. Engineering as an actual term, however, traces its origins back to just 1325.
That earliest example of the word was defined as simply being someone who operates an engine (an engine-er). In that context, an engine meant a military machine, which at that time probably referred to a catapult, trebuchet or siege engine.
Formal & Organised History of UK Engineering
Engineering, as a field of endeavour and achievement, obviously expanded greatly and rapidly from that original narrow definition. By the 19th century and the Victorian era especially, furthermore, engineering had become an area in which the UK led the world and achieved exceptional feats.
Due to that burgeoning importance of engineering, therefore, it was during the 19th century that the field began to be properly organised and professionalised. The first official and professional engineering organisation was named the Institution of Civil Engineers and was established in 1818.
A number of other similar organisations and institutions quickly followed, and all of them aimed to further professionalise engineering and to produce and maintain high standards within the UK. It was in many ways that framework, therefore, that allowed many of the UK’s greatest engineers to flourish.
The UK’s Greatest Engineers
Even a brief history of engineering in the UK – as this undoubtedly is – would not be complete without making mention of at least a few of the country’s most famous names within the field. The trio of master engineers which we have chosen to focus upon here are namely Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Robert Stephenson and Barnes Wallis.
Born in 1806, Brunel is arguably the most famous of all of the UK’s historical engineers. At his zenith during the early Victorian era, the engineer masterminded projects such as the creation of the Great Western Railway and the building of the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Active at around the same time as Brunel, Robert Stephenson was the son of George, who himself has been described as ‘the father of the railways’. It is Robert, however, who is rightly lauded as one of the greatest engineers of all time thanks largely to his own work on railway development and locomotive design.
Barnes Wallis, unlike our other duo of engineers, is most famous for a feat of engineering during the 20th and not the 19th century. It was he, after all, who created the world famous ‘bouncing bombs’ that destroyed the tactically crucial Ruhr dams during WWII and inspired the Hollywood film The Dambusters.
