Historian says Green Lane bridge has too much value to destroy - The Redditch Standard

Historian says Green Lane bridge has too much value to destroy

Redditch Editorial 16th Nov, 2019   0

IF Borough Council plans to demolish the Green Lane bridge go ahead they will be destroying the last remaining rail bridge between Redditch and Evesham.

That’s the verdict of railways historian and Redditch resident Philip Jarvis.

As such he said, the bridge has enormous historical value.

“The tunnel south from Redditch was opened in 1868 and over the 100 years it was in operation that railway bridge would have carried thousands of locomotives, carriages and goods wagons,” said Philip.




He also said the bridge was designed to be around for a long time.

“It was built by the Victorians, and they really knew how to build things, and to make them last too.


“You just to need at the work they did at the railway tunnel under Mount Pleasant and which emerges in Mayfields which is still in very good condition.

“I’m surprised Redditch Borough Council says the bridge over Green Lane is unsafe.”

The trains used to run over the Green Lane bridge, between Redditch and Studley, before stopping at Studley Railway Station.

From there the line went over a bridge at The Slough and Jill Lane, curving round to cross Middleton Lane and then on to Coughton Station where a bridge was demolished a few years back.

However the line fell victim to the railway cuts of Dr Beeching and trains stopped running on it around 1964.

Now the Green Lane bridge, which has been incorporated into Sustrans route 5, carries walkers and cyclists, the last remaining bridge before Evesham.

After the Vale town there’s now only one other bridge further south, at Beckford.

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