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A fact from Avon Bridge appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 19 August 2016 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the gothic arches of the Grade I listedAvon Bridge cannot be seen due to a later girder bridge widening it?
Latest comment: 9 years ago6 comments2 people in discussion
I am no expert on railway history, but a glance at the map suggests that the Avon Bridge was on the line to Exeter from Bristol rather than the original GWR line from Temple Meads to Paddington. I believe the Bristol and Exeter Railway, for which Brunel was also the engineer, originally had its own independent platform adjacent to the GWR station at Temple Meads. — Preceding comment added by Redcliffe maven (talk • contribs) 09:06, 15 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
This bridge (one of many in the area) is the Brunel GWR main line to Bath and London. The Bristol and Exeter and the GWR had separate stations at Temple Meads. Their two separate station buildings survive today. Neither is in use as a station, the modern station is the later GWR station that sat between the two. Andy Dingley (talk) 08:57, 17 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
OK I see. I was confusing this bridge with the one just south of Temple Meads, which really is on the "New Cut". Contrary to the description given, the "Avon Bridge" which this article describes is really on the original Avon River upstream of the New Cut.Redcliffe maven (talk) 18:45, 17 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
This piece of water is the original riverbed of the Avon, but as it's downriver of Netham Weir, it is sometimes called the New Cut (probably incorrectly). The constructed New Cut diverges from the original Avon course at Totterdown basin. I can't see it called such in this article though? Andy Dingley (talk) 19:51, 17 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
I was looking at the photograph caption "Brunel's railway bridge over the river Avon "New Cut" in Bristol. Taken by Rod Ward 21st March 2007". Incidentally I presume Brunel's bridge is the barely visible arched structure, not the prominent metal latticework stucture which I take to be a later widening of the original bridge.Redcliffe maven (talk) 20:07, 17 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
There are three bridges on this site now. Brunel's is in the middle, there's a disused plate girder bridge to the North and this doubled Pratt truss to the South. It's not an easy bridge to photograph from any angle. Andy Dingley (talk) 21:00, 17 July 2015 (UTC)Reply