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Railway bridge, New England Road

Foundation stone laid in 1839
By Farid, railway worker

The foundation stone for the New England Road bridge was laid in 1839. Sixteen months later the first London-Brighton train ran across the bridge.

The bridge consists of three arches: "two small and one large designed after one of the Roman triumphal arches". It was built of white bricks and stone.

The bridge was widened when the line to Victoria was opened in 1860. It was rebuilt in 1985.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

The inscription on the Foundation Stone is very creepy by todays standards, it reads:
'By the blessing of almighty god, in the reign of Queen Victoria, Daniel Manthrop Folkard, Worshipful Master of the Royal Clarence Lodge of the ancient fraternity of freemasons, laid this foundation stone of the viaduct on the London and Brighton Railway, on the 27th day of May, in the year of our lord, 1839, and of the eve of Masonry 5839, assisted by his brethren and the freemasons in the province, and under the auspices of the following directors of the London and Brighton railway Company:-

John Harman, Chairman, G. R. Beauclerc, John Cattley, Henry Morton Dyer, Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, Moses Asher Goldsmid, John Gould, Richard Heaviside, Major-general Hodgson, John Hodgson, Donald Maclean, Lieut-Colonel Moody,
John Moxten, Capt. John W. Pringle, Francis Ricardo, Thomas S. Robinson,
John Sherwell, Newman Smith, Robert Sutton. John Urpeth Rastrick, Engineer. Thomas Henry Statham, Superintendent of Works. John Hale, George Wythes, Contractors.
May God Prosper the Work.'

By Peter Groves (19/10/2007)

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