Difference between revisions of "Hay Bridge"

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Hay Bridge allows the main road between Bridgnorth and Highley to pass underneath the Severn Valley Railway. The bridge was replaced by the SVR in 1975 as part of a programme of work to upgrade the line and increase the permitted axle weight of locomotives using it.
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[[File: Hay_Bridge_20150415.jpg|thumb|300px|right| Hay Bridge from the East]]
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Hay Bridge (occasionally spelt "Haye Bridge"; Bridge 26) allows the main road between Bridgnorth and Highley to pass underneath the Severn Valley Railway between the villages of Eardington and Chelmarsh, and is situated just South of [[Eardington]]. It is named after the nearby Hay Farm, the farmhouse of which is a 17th Century Grade II listed building.<ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1053860 Historic England] (Retrieved 20 July 2019</ref>
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==Preservation==
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During the public enquiry in [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1965-1969#1968|October 1968]] to determine whether the SVR could reopen in preservation, Shropshire County Council objected to the proposed reopening. As well as the possible future construction of Bridgnorth Bypass, it was claimed that improvements to the main road could not be completed unless three bridges (Hay Bridge, [[Cleobury Road Bridge]] and [[Overbridge at north end of Eardington siding|Eardington Bridge]]) were demolished. Under cross examination it transpired that no money was then available for these improvements,<ref>SVR News 11</ref> and ultimately a Light Railway Order was granted allowing reopening to take place.  
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Prior to opening in May 1970, an inspection revealed that parts of the main bridge girders were rotting away. During two weeks In February 1970 more than a ton of steel plate was welded onto the bridge to strengthen it.<ref>SVR News 16</ref>
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Much of the bridge was replaced by the SVR in June 1975 as part of a programme of work to upgrade the line and increase the permitted axle weight of locomotives using it. The new bridge was built by [[David Owen#Rubery_Owen|Rubery Owen]] who had replaced the [[Underbridge on Station Road, Highley|bridge at Highley]] in 1974. One of the edge beams still carries a plaque showing “Brymbo 1861”.
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<gallery>
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File: Hay_Bridge_2_20150415.jpg | Hay bridge detail
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</gallery>
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The bridge was used as a filming location in the 1977 Walt Disney Productions live action film [[Candleshoe]].
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The low clearance makes the bridge subject to strikes by road vehicles, a notable example being on [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1990-1999#1994 | 6 April 1994]] when a skip lorry demolished the west-side walkway and moved the main girders two feet out of alignment!  Damage to the bridge resulted in resulted in both the railway and road beneath being closed, but a concerted effort by the P Way Department and other SVR volunteers, the SVR’s Consulting Engineers, Shropshire County Council and the Railway Inspectorate allowed the line to re-open temporarily for traffic on 9 April. 6024 King Edward 1, which was visiting the railway at the time, was the first locomotive to cross the repaired bridge. Permanent repairs were carried out over the next month.<ref>SVR News 111</ref>
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Another bridge strike occurred on 11 June 2007, with the line being closed for a day and a half on this occasion while a crane lifted the bridge back onto its bearings.<ref>SVR News 158</ref> Eight days later a [[2007 Storm Damage|freak thunderstorm]] closed the line again, this time for a number of months.
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As a result of bridge strikes the height restriction was changed from a warning (red triangle) to a prohibitory (red circle) traffic sign.  
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
[[List of infrastructure]]
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[[Culvert over Mor Brook | Towards Kidderminster]]<br>
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[[List of infrastructure]]<br>
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[[Occupation bridge near Eardington ground frame | Towards Bridgnorth]]
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==References==
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<references/>
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{{#coordinates: 52.496636|-2.397475|[primary|][dim:1000]}}
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[[Category:Featured articles]]

Latest revision as of 11:34, 22 August 2020

Hay Bridge from the East

Hay Bridge (occasionally spelt "Haye Bridge"; Bridge 26) allows the main road between Bridgnorth and Highley to pass underneath the Severn Valley Railway between the villages of Eardington and Chelmarsh, and is situated just South of Eardington. It is named after the nearby Hay Farm, the farmhouse of which is a 17th Century Grade II listed building.[1]

Preservation

During the public enquiry in October 1968 to determine whether the SVR could reopen in preservation, Shropshire County Council objected to the proposed reopening. As well as the possible future construction of Bridgnorth Bypass, it was claimed that improvements to the main road could not be completed unless three bridges (Hay Bridge, Cleobury Road Bridge and Eardington Bridge) were demolished. Under cross examination it transpired that no money was then available for these improvements,[2] and ultimately a Light Railway Order was granted allowing reopening to take place.

Prior to opening in May 1970, an inspection revealed that parts of the main bridge girders were rotting away. During two weeks In February 1970 more than a ton of steel plate was welded onto the bridge to strengthen it.[3]

Much of the bridge was replaced by the SVR in June 1975 as part of a programme of work to upgrade the line and increase the permitted axle weight of locomotives using it. The new bridge was built by Rubery Owen who had replaced the bridge at Highley in 1974. One of the edge beams still carries a plaque showing “Brymbo 1861”.

The bridge was used as a filming location in the 1977 Walt Disney Productions live action film Candleshoe.

The low clearance makes the bridge subject to strikes by road vehicles, a notable example being on 6 April 1994 when a skip lorry demolished the west-side walkway and moved the main girders two feet out of alignment! Damage to the bridge resulted in resulted in both the railway and road beneath being closed, but a concerted effort by the P Way Department and other SVR volunteers, the SVR’s Consulting Engineers, Shropshire County Council and the Railway Inspectorate allowed the line to re-open temporarily for traffic on 9 April. 6024 King Edward 1, which was visiting the railway at the time, was the first locomotive to cross the repaired bridge. Permanent repairs were carried out over the next month.[4]

Another bridge strike occurred on 11 June 2007, with the line being closed for a day and a half on this occasion while a crane lifted the bridge back onto its bearings.[5] Eight days later a freak thunderstorm closed the line again, this time for a number of months.

As a result of bridge strikes the height restriction was changed from a warning (red triangle) to a prohibitory (red circle) traffic sign.

See also

References

  1. Historic England (Retrieved 20 July 2019
  2. SVR News 11
  3. SVR News 16
  4. SVR News 111
  5. SVR News 158
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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Eardington is situated on Eardington Bank, mid-way between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. In recent years, rebuilding the platform was completed in 2019 and the water tower was dismantled in 2021. Although the station no longer features in daily operations, it resumed use during gala events in 2023 more than 40 years since regular timetabled trains ceased. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks2.png
Click on the map for a
larger interactive version

For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

Categories of article

History of the Severn Valley Railway

Current events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Information about the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Miscellaneous


Query Corner

Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

In addition are a number of stub articles requiring further input.

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Alternatively, if you don't feel confident editing this Wiki (although there is no reason you shouldn't!!), each article also has a "Discussion" page, which can be accessed by clicking the relevant button in the top left hand corner. This allows you to make additions, suggestions, or corrections to a page without making any change to the article itself.


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