Foundation stone laid in 1839
The foundation stone for the New England Road bridge was laid in 1839. Sixteen months later the first London-Brighton train ran across the bridge.
The bridge consists of three arches: “two small and one large designed after one of the Roman triumphal arches”. It was built of white bricks and stone.
The bridge was widened when the line to Victoria was opened in 1860. It was rebuilt in 1985.
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The inscription on the Foundation Stone is very creepy by todays standards, it reads:
‘By the blessing of almighty god, in the reign of Queen Victoria, Daniel Manthrop Folkard, Worshipful Master of the Royal Clarence Lodge of the ancient fraternity of freemasons, laid this foundation stone of the viaduct on the London and Brighton Railway, on the 27th day of May, in the year of our lord, 1839, and of the eve of Masonry 5839, assisted by his brethren and the freemasons in the province, and under the auspices of the following directors of the London and Brighton railway Company:-
John Harman, Chairman, G. R. Beauclerc, John Cattley, Henry Morton Dyer, Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, Moses Asher Goldsmid, John Gould, Richard Heaviside, Major-general Hodgson, John Hodgson, Donald Maclean, Lieut-Colonel Moody,
John Moxten, Capt. John W. Pringle, Francis Ricardo, Thomas S. Robinson,
John Sherwell, Newman Smith, Robert Sutton. John Urpeth Rastrick, Engineer. Thomas Henry Statham, Superintendent of Works. John Hale, George Wythes, Contractors.
May God Prosper the Work.’
The inscription continues, naming those present, including John Urpeth Rastrick, Thomas Henry Statham, and John Harman, Chairman of the Railway Company.[ii]Foundation stone laid in 1839 | Railway bridge, New England Road | My Brighton and Hove.
When the bridge was built it was named Wick Road bridge as that was the road name; it did not become New England until the 1860s when New England farm up the hill was sold off and the land developed.
The pale bricks were produced locally, probably in the Hove brickyards as they are largely iron free, made from the Brickearth deposits that lie along the Aldrington/Hove border area, as until the line opened it was too difficult to bring in red bricks from north of the Downs.
I’m a bit confused dot com because I’ve known and occasionally heard the nearby attractive 1852 cast iron bridge named as the New England Road Bridge : the monumental 1839 Roman-style brick construction discussed here as the Montpelier Road Bridge or New England Viaduct. – Town plans and reference I currently have to hand haven’t the detail for me to determine with certainty. I look on other pages of My B. & H. Could someone kindly clarify (or correct, if need be) for me and explain for anyone else similarly perplexed ? Thank you !
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