*Historical* What does this ornate bridge in Beddington Park have to do with gunpowder and a canon? We’ll tell you.
The bridge was commisioned by Canon Alexander Henry Bridges (that’s the Canon bit). He was rector of Beddington 1864-1891 and an honorary Canon of Winchester Cathedral.
The bridge has brick terracotta tiles originally made in Torquay, Devon.
The Bridges’ family had made their fortune from manufacturing gunpowder in Ewell, where Alexander may have lived for a while (that’s the gunpowder bit).
His father died in 1861 and so Alexander inherited a fortune. In 1864 he purchased Beddington Park and made space for the Beddington Cricket club, employed esteemed design company William Morris and Co to make the organ screen at St Mary’s Church and landscaped a new Stock Pond.
Canon Bridges lived here at Bridges Lane in Beddington Village. A small section of garden wall is all that remains.
Alexander was born 9 December 1811 and died 16 October 1891.
The structure is now known as Canon Bridges Bridge.
In the 60’s it was usual to see St Mary’s choir boys between singing at weddings on a Saturday to try to walk across on the outside of this bridge. The number of brides who would have been annoyed to see those angelic choristers with wet feet and filthy knees beneath their cassocks.