Lady Wimborne'S Bridge

Lady Wimborne's Bridge is a disused railway bridge built in 1853 by Sir Charles Barry for Sir Joseph Guest of Canford Manor and the Southampton and Dorchester Railway. The bridge is constructed from limestone ashlar with brick flanking walls, while the vault and retaining walls are made of Upton brick with stone coping. Each side of the bridge features a four-centre double-wave moulded arch, with spandrels intricately carved with scrolls, foliage, and a coat of arms, all surrounded by a splayed reveal. Above this, there is a corbel table with five corbels, each carved with shields on foliage. The splayed coping is topped with a stone coat of arms and capped by double-ogee moulded coping. The parapets at each end of the bridge are terminated by carved pinnacles, and the flanking abutments end with carved stone coats of arms on galleted piers. A signed and dated drawing of the bridge exists in the Royal Institute of British Architects Collection, showcasing an elaborate design in the Canford Estate style, which is also seen in several houses built under the direction of Lady Wimborne.