The GWR’s ‘Laverton Gap’. The steel span was removed to allow for heavy plant access to a new gas pumping station and is about to be replaced with a new structure. The brick walls will repaired and retained and a new concrete deck will rest on them. Note the scale which measures the depth of water when the dip beneath the bridge floods, as it is prone to do after heavy rain! (Photograph: Darren Fairley)  


The ‘Laverton Gap’ from bridge level, looking north. The repair needed to the brickwork is evident on the opposite wall. The new concrete deck will be some 200mm thicker than the original steel span which necessitates building up the formation with ballast, either side of the bridge (Photograph: Darren Fairley)  

Following the granting of planning permission, the 'missing bridge' which carried the Honeybourne Line across the unclassified Laverton to Wormington road, off the B4632 at Laverton, is about to be replaced.  The work starts immediately and opens the way for completion of the Honeybourne Line extension beyond the site of Laverton Halt and on towards Broadway.   The rail-over bridge, which in common with most similar structures on the Honeybourne-Cheltenham route comprised a steel span with brick supports and wing walls, was removed with GWSR permission some years ago by the predecessor of National Grid to allow passage of construction traffic to the site of a gas pipe line and pumping station.

Over the intervening period the bridge had deteriorated to such an extent that it made economic sense to replace it completely rather than refurbish the existing span, which was stored on the nearby track formation.  The new bridge required planning permission from Tewkesbury Borough Council and this has now been granted.

The Council's summary of the decision to grant planning permission says:  "It is considered that the proposal would enhance the bridge structure as a whole and would have an acceptable impact on the Special Landscape Area.  The proposal would also support the future restoration of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire railway line."

Delighted GWSR Property Director Darren Fairley says: "This is really good news.  It is the result of a lot of hard work and determination after a number of historic issues had to be overcome, due in the main to changes in planning legislation since the bridge was temporarily removed.  It's good to see the importance that the local authority places on our railway and we are grateful for their support.  We're are also grateful for the continuing support of National Grid to honour the agreement made by their predecessors over two decades ago, to reinstate the bridge at their cost."

The new bridge has a concrete double-track-width deck with lattice parapet hand rails, similar to other bridges on the line. This will allow the run-round loop at Laverton to be completed and allow the extension this far to be opened for traffic during 2010.

Darren adds: "Although the deck will maintain the original road clearance of just over 4m (13'3"), because of the thicker concrete deck, the rail height will be some 200mm higher than the old formation.  This doesn't sound like much but the transition in height difference has to be stretched back several hundred metres either side of the bridge.  While this won't be a spectacular 'Ski jump' such as the East Lancashire Railway's bridge over the tram system, it nevertheless makes a significant cost difference with need for a large amount of additional ballast!"

Darren points out that other bridges north of Laverton also require considerable, expensive, refurbishment before track can be laid all the way to Broadway.

"Much of the capital cost of the extension comes from investment income.  This is a good opportunity to buy shares in our expanding railway and help ensure the railhead reaches Broadway, sooner rather than later."

Shares can be bought in units of £100 or by direct debit, with monthly payments of as little as £10.  Share ownership brings valuable travel benefits as well as the satisfaction of owning a piece of Britain's fastest-growing heritage railway.  For a copy of the share brochure, contact Garry Owen at GWRS, The Railway Station, Toddington GL54 5DT or follow the link below.