Kerne Bridge
{{Short description|Hamlet in Herefordshire, England}}
{{About|the hamlet in South Herefordshire|the bridge over the River Wye|Kerne Bridge (River Wye crossing)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2014}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = England
|coordinates = {{coord|51.86800|-2.60849|display=inline,title}}
|population=
|official_name= Kerne Bridge
|civil_parish= Walford
|unitary_england= Herefordshire
|lieutenancy_england= Herefordshire
|region= West Midlands
|constituency_westminster= Hereford and South Herefordshire
|post_town= ROSS-ON-WYE
|postcode_district= HR9
|postcode_area=HR
|dial_code=
|os_grid_reference= SO582190§}}
Kerne Bridge is a hamlet in south Herefordshire, England, about {{Convert|3.5|mi|km|0}} south of the market town of Ross-on-Wye on the B4234 Ross-on-Wye to Coleford road adjacent to Bishopswood. Situated on the left bank of the River Wye, it takes its modern name from the nineteenth century bridge over the river. It was once a significant stop on the now disused and abandoned Monmouth to Ross-on-Wye railway, and is now known for a popular canoe-launching site. It marks the northern start of the Upper Wye Gorge and is situated in the heart of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
History
The history of the hamlet began when a primitive manually-operated mill for grinding corn came to be established there. This type of mill was known in Old English as a cweorn."Quern", Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1980 The presence of the mill gave the name - The Cweorn - to the small settlement which began to be built up around the mill. Over time the spelling of the name of the settlement was simplified to The Quern.Votes of the House of Commons in the Second Session of the Tenth Parliament of Great Britain, 07 February 1748, House of Commons, London, 1748 Records show that it was still known that way until at least 1815,1815 Road Act, Journals of the House of Commons Volume 70, Session 1814-1815, House of Commons, London, 1816 but by the mid-1820s spelling simplification had further altered its name to The Kerne.An Act for building a Bridge over the River Wye, at a Place called The Kerne ..., Anno Sexto, Georgii IV. Regis, Houses of Parliament, London, 20 May 1825 It later became known as Kerne Bridge when the bridge over the River Wye was built at the hamlet in 1828.
Railway
In 1873, the Ross and Monmouth Railway line from Ross-on-Wye station to Monmouth Troy was built. It crossed the River Wye at Kerne Bridge on a single-track skew bridge constructed of plate girders. The single-track bridge was built by Edward Finch of Chepstow and was {{convert|133|m|ft}} long. Kerne Bridge railway station was the first initially station after leaving Ross-on-Wye, though Walford Halt at Walford was built later between them. The station closed in 1959 when passenger service on the line was withdrawn. Goods services continued to run until 1964, when the bridge was demolished, leaving the masonry abutments.{{cite book |first=Alan |last=Crow |title=Bridges on the River Wye |publisher=Lapridge Publications |location=Hereford |isbn=0-9518589-9-8 |date=1995 |page=128}} Nearby is a [https://web.archive.org/web/20060604062349/http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/leisure/parks_recreation/2585.asp picnic place] and canoe launch site based at the site of the bridge.
The station building, after many years as an outdoor activity centre, is now a private house. On the other side of the river is Flanesford Priory which is now holiday accommodation.
Governance
Due to its location in the geographical centre Kerne Bridge is the name of a local government ward of [https://web.archive.org/web/20100815063656/http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/homepage.asp Herefordshire Council]. Kerne Bridge Ward contains five parishes, they are: Walford, Goodrich, Whitchurch, Welsh Bicknor and Ganarew.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Kerne Bridge}}
- [https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=4089822 Photos of Kerne Bridge and surrounding area on geograph]
- [http://www.wherenow.net/471.html Panoramic view from Kerne Bridge]
- [http://www.sungreen.co.uk/Lydbrook/Kerne-Bridge-1963.htm Kerne Bridge in April 1963]
{{authority control}}