Miscellaneous Southern Artefacts
The Lady Wimborne Bridge
 Otherwise known as Bridge 77, The Lady Wimborne Bridge is immediately on the station (north) side of Wimborne Junction. This is the plaque explaining its history. photograph by Chris Osment |
| The plaque reads: This railway bridge was built over the then main driveway to Canford House, now Canford School, to convey the Southampton and Dorchester Railway, which opened on the 1 June 1847. The Dorset Central Railway, from Bath, which later became the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, joined the line at a junction by the southern end of this bridge, opening on the 1 November 1860. The last scheduled passenger train from Wimborne was on the 2 May 1964, although freight trains continued to use the line until final closure on the 3 May 1977. The bridge is one of the most ornately carved railway bridges in the
country. It is faced with Ham stone from a quarry near Yeovil, with local brick
used for the underside of the arch. There are five shields carved on both sides
of the bridge and pinnacles at the ends of the parapets. Today the bridge forms one of the structures along the Stour Valley Way and Castleman's Trailway. This trailway is named after Charles Castleman, a Wimborne solicitor, who was chiefly responsible for bringing the railway to Wimborne. With the support of Poole Borough Council, a small group of volunteers, known as "The Friends of the Lady Wimborne Bridge", meet regularly to keep the area tidy. |
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The west (up side of the line) side of this impressive bridge,
photographed on 18th April
2009.
photograph by Chris Osment |
| The crest adopted by Sir John and Lady Charlotte Guest.
photograph by Chris Osment |
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The bridge as viewed from the east side.
photograph by Chris Osment |
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This page was created 17 December 2009
