Railway Bridge At Stocks Green

The railway bridge at Stocks Green, built around 1868, carries the railway over the road as part of the South Eastern line from New Cross to Tonbridge. This section, from Sevenoaks to Tonbridge, opened in 1868. The bridge is constructed of red brick laid in English bond and features an unusual design, crossing the road obliquely with a single arch made up of five skewed, staggered arches. It has a plain brick stringcourse and coping, along with a brick parapet and substantial buttresses. According to the History of the Southern Railway, the line was noted for its impressive brick bridges, built to a high standard to compete with the London, Chatham and Dover Railway by enabling faster schedules between London and the channel ports.