| Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by grahame at 06:00, 18th August 2025 |     |
From The Sun - please excuse the spam bait there
A HISTORIC UK bridge has collapsed after an engineering train smashed into it.
The train crashed into the Grade II listed bridge at Lydney, in the Forest of Dean, just before 11am yesterday.
The train crashed into the Grade II listed bridge at Lydney, in the Forest of Dean, just before 11am yesterday.
It would appear that the old bridge at St Mary's Halt in Lydney has "come down" and from what I can read in the story it's not expected / intentional - talk of RAIB taking a look at it, and of an engineering train being involved.
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by Ralph Ayres at 10:40, 18th August 2025 | |
Looks like it's this one https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/st-marys-bridge/; the link still works but it may soon be taken down to minimise embarrassment. Bit of an own goal by the Dean Forest Railway given the effort that went into restoring it.
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:53, 18th August 2025 | |
From the Dean Forest Railway website:
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:45, 18th August 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Listed iron footbridge is knocked over by train
A Grade II listed footbridge has been damaged after being hit by an engineering train on a heritage line.
The 133-year-old Victorian lattice iron bridge at St Mary's Halt in Lydney, Gloucestershire, was restored only in 2019 – and is said to be the last surviving piece of infrastructure from the historic Severn and Wye Railway.
Dean Forest Railway, which runs steam trains and heritage diesel services on the line, said no one was harmed in the incident, which happened just before 11:00 BST on Thursday.
It said its staff and volunteers were now working with the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
The bridge, north of the A48 and to the west of Lydney Lake, was cordoned off to the public after being knocked over.
Severn and Wye Railway was originally constructed as a tramroad network in the Forest of Dean more than two centuries ago.
The only remaining part of it in use, for heritage trips, spans 4.5 miles (7.2km) from Lydney Junction Station, which is near Lydney Harbour, to Parkend.
Dean Forest Railway said it would be running a reduced service over the weekend.
A Grade II listed footbridge has been damaged after being hit by an engineering train on a heritage line.
The 133-year-old Victorian lattice iron bridge at St Mary's Halt in Lydney, Gloucestershire, was restored only in 2019 – and is said to be the last surviving piece of infrastructure from the historic Severn and Wye Railway.
Dean Forest Railway, which runs steam trains and heritage diesel services on the line, said no one was harmed in the incident, which happened just before 11:00 BST on Thursday.
It said its staff and volunteers were now working with the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
The bridge, north of the A48 and to the west of Lydney Lake, was cordoned off to the public after being knocked over.
Severn and Wye Railway was originally constructed as a tramroad network in the Forest of Dean more than two centuries ago.
The only remaining part of it in use, for heritage trips, spans 4.5 miles (7.2km) from Lydney Junction Station, which is near Lydney Harbour, to Parkend.
Dean Forest Railway said it would be running a reduced service over the weekend.
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by ChrisB at 12:53, 18th August 2025 | |
Presumably will be covered by insurance - it'll have to be repaired/replaced as it forms part of a recognised public footpath.
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by grahame at 13:15, 18th August 2025 | |
Some pics from me of the bridge from August of last year (2024)
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by grahame at 17:26, 18th August 2025 | |
Although getting rarer, bridges of this type *are* still around in a few places
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:45, 18th August 2025 | |
Thanks for posting those images, grahame.
It enables me to offer a 'before and after' view, from almost the same standpoint:
Oops!
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by Oxonhutch at 20:36, 18th August 2025 | |
There is a rather suspicious yellow digger arm in front of the 08.
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by ChrisB at 21:00, 18th August 2025 | |
Yes, I had noticed that but was waiting for the RAIB to confirm.
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney Posted by Oxonhutch at 21:51, 18th August 2025 | |
From the BBC photo, I think I can confidently identify it as a digger arm. I will leave it to the RAIB to identify if it had any role to play in bridge’s demolition.
