Bourne Valley Viaducts | |
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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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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.
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]
The military defences from World War II remain beneath the bridge.