Railway Bridge No 618

TQ 75 NE BOXLEY ASHFORD ROAD 5/222 Railway Bridge No 618 II Railway viaduct and screen wall. c1880 viaduct, part of Maidstone and Ashford Rail- way with screen wall built specially to prevent sparks and soot from the railway engines drifting on to the hand made paper at Turkey Mill being dried in the nearby louvred drying lofts. Built of red brick in English bond. Series of round-headed arches with screen wall above having large recessed panels with pierced circular holes on north forming a decorative feature, and plain walls on the south where it abutted Turkey Mill. Of social historical interest for its attempt to placate local landowners, in this case the Earl of Romney and James Whatman, MP for Maidstone and owner of the Turkey Mill (See Maidstone and Ashford Railway Act 1880).

Listing NGR: TQ7738059871