Hall Farm Rail Bridge

With the recent closure of the Hall Farm rail bridge, now is an opportune time to post an article about the bridge's replacement 43 years ago in 1982.  It could be argued that this is a Stetchworth rather than Dullingham Memory as it's just over the parish boundary but since some Stetchworth villagers use Dullingham Station I'm fairly confident that this post won't result in an internecine between the two parishes. 

The original bridge, looking downhill towards Stetchworth in 1980

Two more photos from the same time looking at the western 'portal'

In 1982 it was determined that the bridge needed replacing.  This had an impact on the area as Hall Farm road had to be closed for three months or so.   In an article for the Cambridge Evening News Rodney Tibbs - who appears to have lived locally - described that to get from one side to the other without the bridge was a 5 miles trip as modern day Googlemaps confirms.

 The following photos from the Dullingham Archives shows the replacement work for the new bridge, 43 years ago.  They are probably more of interest to railway/civil engineering buffs but nonetheless worth including here.  Whilst the original arch was replaced it's fair to say that Rodney's aspiration that the new bridge remained sympathetic to the surrounding country side was met and there no sign of any girders or steels. 

The Dullingham side of bridge just before demolition in 1982

"Mind the Gap"

Road platform in place.  It was around this time that the line between Cambridge & Newmarket was reduced to a single track with the exception of the Dullingham loop.

The parapet in place.  This must have taken some time as the fields in the previous photograph were green.