Need help identfying a bridge

Brian G

Brian G

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I inherited hundreds of B&W negatives from my father and I've been going through them and scanning some of the more interesting ones. I've done some detective work and managed to identify a number of locations, but this one has got me beaten.
At first I thought it was somewhere on the river Thames, but I've looked at pictures of all the bridges over the Thames and I cannot find a match. The other place he used to take lots of photos is Scotland, but somehow the location doesn't look Scottish to me. The only thing I can say for sure is that it is within the UK.
On close examination there is an inscription on the centre arch which says G iv R (as in George 4th) with a date that looks something like MDCCCIII, although it's indistinct. (That date translates as 1803, but George IV reigned from 1820 to 1830, so I think that's not quite right.) I think it is a road bridge, rather than a railway bridge, since in another shot some people can be seen walking across it.

Can anyone please help with an ID for the location? The photo was probably taken in the early 1960's. If I can find where it is, I'd like to revisit the location and take a similar shot of how it looks today.

StoneBridge_02.jpg
 
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Brian G said:
I inherited hundreds of B&W negatives from my father and I've been going through them and scanning some of the more interesting ones. I've done some detective work and managed to identify a number of locations, but this one has got me beaten.
At first I thought it was somewhere on the river Thames, but I've looked at pictures of all the bridges over the Thames and I cannot find a match. The other place he used to take lots of photos is Scotland, but somehow the location doesn't look Scottish to me. The only thing I can say for sure is that it is within the UK.
On close examination there is an inscription on the centre arch which says G iv R (as in George 4th) with a date that looks something like MDCCCIII, although it's indistinct. (That date translates as 1803, but George IV reigned from 1820 to 1830, so I think that's not quite right.) I think it is a road bridge, rather than a railway bridge, since in another shot some people can be seen walking across it.

Can anyone please help with an ID for the location? The photo was probably taken in the early 1960's. If I can find where it is, I'd like to revisit the location and take a similar shot of how it looks today.
Click to expand...

Virginia Water, border of Berks/Surrey off A30.....;) close with Thames.
Used to walk over it every fortnight or so
Its a road for maybe 2 cars width and passes near the polo club, not a road 'road' as its inside the large park

http://www.hampshireandsurrey.com/photos-full-page/bridge-over-virginia-water-lake.JPG
 
You came across the right Scottish person who knows Virginia Water very well haha :)

Nice part of the country it is too.
 
Wow! I was hopeful of a response but I never expected one so quick!

Thank you very much for the information.
Virginia Water is certainly a location my father visited on more than one occasion, and I remember being taken there myself as a child, although I cannot recall that bridge. I must revisit the place and see if I can take a suitable comparison shot, or two.
I've revisited a number of locations that my father had photographed back in the sixties to take comparison "then and now" pictures. Fortunately many of his sequences include pubs, so it makes the task of finding the locations a little easier, with the aid of the internet!

Incidentally, this is the first time I've posted here, and now I'm revisiting the forum my original linked photo is not appearing. I don't know what I've done, but can others see my photo, or has the site link failed?
 
You're welcome :)

Yeah photo not appearing for some reason now. Check the host site maybe.

Cheers.
 
Thanks very much.

I didn't know I had a gallery here that I could upload to, so I did that, and created a new image link. Hopefully that's fixed things.

I'd shown this photo to lots of friends and family and no-one recognised it. This was my first attempt at posting it on line and I got a result immediately!
There may be a few more that I might need to identify in the future.

Cheers,

Brian.
 
Think it was just luck tbh, I happened to open your post and I spend most of my time on 'equipment' or 'classifieds' these days :)

The bridge was built around 1800 I remember that as there are a few monuments around put up around the same time in the park.

I see you are London, so not 'that' far really, be a nice day out :) The walk around the lake is around 4 or 5 miles (I would guess) and there are a lot of nice spots for photos. Next door (they sort of merge together) is Savile (spelling) Gardens also very nice.

Although very nice in Summer, I always liked to walk around in the autumn for the colours. The bridge and surrounds was recognisable straight away to me, as it's not changed any (not like bridges do, but you know what I mean :) )

Well worth a visit, and the Wheastsheaf pub is handy for a halfway refreshment or 3 :)
Post up some more, and i'll see if I can help with your Scottish locations as well :)
Cheers.
 
It's been a while since I originally posted this, but I finally got down to Virginia Water to get a "now" shot of this bridge.
Unfortunately there has been so much tree growth in the last 50 or so years (no surprises), it is now impossible to get a shot from the same angle as the original.

This is roughly where the original was taken:

View attachment 18413

The clearest view is now this one:

View attachment 18414
 
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Just go back in the winter :)
 
kendo1 said:
Just go back in the winter :)
Click to expand...
Yes - I had thought of that, especially as the originals were taken with no leaves on the trees.
It would certainly be clearer, but there has been a lot of tree growth in the meantime.
 
... and take an axe. :)
 
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