Fordingbridge

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The History of Fordingbridge

Fordingbridge is an historic market town with a population of 6,000 on the banks of the River Avon, close to the new Forest, and within easy reach of the city of Salisbury, and the seaside resort of Bournemouth.

From earliest times, man has inhabited the area. On the chalk downlands, earthworks of the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and of the Bronze Age are still to be seen. However, evidence such as flint tools and pottery sherds show that these prehistoric people lived, not just on the downs, but in all parts of the region.

Fordingbridge was recorded in the Domesday Book and derives its name from "Forde" and "bridge". The first Great Bridge, built in mediaeval times, is upstream from the ford. The bridge is a major feature of the town with its seven graceful arches, which can be seen very easily from the town's large riverside park where you can walk along the riverbank draped with willows and waterside plants. Close by is a children's play area, secluded memorial gardens,parks, and sports playing fields.

Fordingbridge acquired a station on the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway in 1866, which resulted in the development of the 'suburb' of Ashford. The Railway Hotel, renamed the Load of Hay after the closure of the line in 1963, was more recently renamed after Fordingbridge's most famous former inhabitant, The Augustus John.

From the 1960s onwards, the town of Fordingbridge has expanded considerably, with several housing estates added to the historic core of the town, resulting in a population increase to almost 6000. The by-pass, constructed in the mid-70s, diverted much of the heavy traffic from the town centre and the narrow medieval bridge.

Fordingbridge is twinned with Vimoutiers in Normandy and celebrated their 20th Anniversary in 2002.

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