Melton Constable History

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The Bridge

Melton Constable bridge

The original bridge taking the Hindolveston Road over the railway was built c.1881 and covered two lines, providing a single line on either side of the platform. In 1914 the M&GN Board ratified the decision to reconstruct and widen the bridge to accommodate four lines passing underneath at a cost of £1,200.

M&GN Minutes 1914

Despite improvements to track layout, the existing bridge No. 104 was a bottleneck for traffic. All Down goods trains had to pass under it on the passenger line before they could use the goods reception road. Eventually the bridge was reconstructed, finished in October 1916. The new bridge was in concrete with spans for double track on both sides, allowing a Down relief line to be laid. However, it seems the current Lord Hastings refused to allow the private waiting room to be demolished to give space for an Up relief line. Relations with the Astley family had deteriorated since his lordship, son of the one-time Director of the Lynn & Fakenham Railway, had come into the title in 1904. When approached by the Committee requesting some more land on the south side of the Works for an extension to the concrete shop, he refused to release it.
Nigel Digby

The Bridge c.1906 1914
M&GN Class C 4-4-0 loco no.46 having just passed under the original bridge - c.1906
The station and bridge prior to widening - 1914

c.1914West side of the bridge prior to widening - c.1914

Station Entrance Bridge widening 1914
Station Entrance on the bridge with steps leading down to the station below
Bridge widening - the Melton made main beam had an ornate finish - 1915

7th September 1952
Somersault signals on the east side of the bridge - 7th September 1952

DMU c.1961 1965
DMU waiting to depart - c.1961
1965

12th August 1965 c.1965
Hindolveston Road bridge after the lines were removed - 12th August 1965
Bridge after closure with partial underfill - c.1969

Station and bridge at night - 1959 Morning after closure painting
The station and bridge at night - 1959
'Morning after closure' painting by H. J. Jackson - 1959

Melton Constable's Hindolveston Road bridge no. 104, was partly infilled in November 1969, the parapet was then blown up by the army and the road realigned.

12th January 1968
Bridge site - 12th January 1968

Hindolveston bridge no. 104
Bridge site - 1969

Melton Constable's Hindolveston Road bridge no. 104, was partly infilled in November 1969, the parapet was then blown up by the army and the road realigned.

30th August 2025
Bridge site - 30th August 2025


If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means email or telephone 07836 675369.


Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2025
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