Rhinefield Bridge Over Blackwater Stream North Of Rhinefield House

Rhinefield Bridge is a bridge that carries a minor road over the Blackwater Stream, located north of Rhinefield House in Brockenhurst. It was built in 1949 or 1950 and designed by E W H Gifford, the County Bridge Engineer for Hampshire County Council. The bridge features a prestressed concrete deck and timber parapet fences, with a clear span of 33 feet. It is notable for being the first of several bridges in the New Forest constructed using precast, post-tensioned units with the Freyssinet system, where the units are stressed together transversely. The bridge has a slight vertical curvature that helps make the cables straighter, reducing friction, which is suitable for a road with limited speed and set in a woodland environment. While the timber fence is likely not original, it is similar to what would have been used. This bridge is considered an attractive structure and is probably the first prestressed concrete bridge in England designed by an English engineer.