Bailey Bridge

I managed a 3 mile run this evening and took a favourite route across Stanpit Marsh and along the River Avon. This route takes me over a piece of history, although the Marsh itself is part of an Iron age settlement and has history dating back some 10,000 years.

The picture is of a World War II Bailey Bridge located within Stanpit Marsh and is one of the oldest examples of a Bailey Bridge and one of very few remaining. This particular example was a prototype, designed nearby in Christchurch at the Military Experimental Establishment. The purpose of the bridge was to be light and durable and allowed allied forces to move quickly across Europe after the D-Day invasion.

I wonder how many people cross this bridge with absolutely no idea to it's history.