The Bourne Valley Viaducts are two Victorian brick railway viaducts in Bournemouth and Poole, England. One bridge is disused while the other carries a section of the South West Main Line from London to Weymouth between Bournemouth railway station and Branksome railway station.
Bourne Valley Viaducts | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The viaducts from the south in 2021 | |
| Coordinates | 50°43′45″N 1°54′48″W / 50.729305°N 1.913341°W |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Brick |
| No. of spans | 10 |
| Clearance below | Gordon Road, Surrey Road |
| History | |
| Built | 1888 (old bridge) 1893 (new bridge) |
| Closed | 1965 (original bridge) |
| Location | |
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History edit
In 1888, London and South Western Railway constructed a viaduct consisting of ten curved arches.[1] In 1893, another viaduct was built on its west side that created a triangle of routes, allowing incoming trains to travel west towards Poole bypassing Bournemouth West railway station.[1] The railway bridge crosses the River Bourne.[1] Underneath the bridge are Surrey Road and Gordon Road near Coy Pond and Bournemouth Gardens as the railway follows Bourne Valley Road towards Branksome.[2] The original bridge was closed in 1965 during the Beeching cuts.[3] On 27 March 1941, an Luftwaffe air raid in World War II hit the nearby canteen at Bourne Valley Gasworks killing 33 people.[4] It is believed that the viaducts had been the intended target.[5] In 2020, a lorry crashed into the bridge.[6] The low arches at Bourne Valley Road reportedly make accidents common.[7] In 2023, improvements to the bridge were carried out by BCP Council.[8]
Gallery edit
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View from Gordon Road -
Houses in the vicinity -
View from Surrey Road -
Bournemouth Eye from the bridge
The military defences from World War II remain beneath the bridge.
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References edit
- ^ a b c Baddeley, Nicole (25 May 2021). "Dorset's impressive railway viaducts". Dorset Echo.
- ^ "Dorset walk - Branksome Park and Coy Pond". Great British Life. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Picture of the Day: Bourne Valley viaducts under construction in the 19th century". Bournemouth Echo. 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "33 killed at lunch: Poole's worst World War II bombing". Bournemouth Echo. 2018-03-28. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "'Someone screamed "Down! Down!"' – the Bourne Valley bombing | Dorset Life - The Dorset Magazine". Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Lorry roof ripped off as it hits Poole railway bridge". BBC News. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Lorry driver crashes into railway bridge". Dorset Echo. 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "LISTED: The 55 roadworks in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole this week". Bournemouth Echo. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2024-05-10.