Florence Nightingale’s haunted bridge

11:37am Thursday 3rd January 2008

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In the depths of a Hampshire winter, so legend says, a ghostly coach and horses, shining with an eerie white light, would trundle its way around the country lanes near West Wellow.

It was claimed that the spectre made its appearance on New Year's Eve when thundering hoofs and rattling wheels could be heard as the driverless carriage passed under a bridge that once formed part of the Embley Park Estate, former home of Florence Nightingale.

The bridge, built in 1818, and named the "Sounding Arch", was a favourite spot for the nursing pioneer to gaze across the countryside. But by March, 1966, Hampshire County Council decreed that it should be demolished.

Although not a beauty spot, the Sounding Arch had a quaint attractiveness and, because of its association with the Lady with the Lamp, it had considerable sentimental value.

The decision to demolish the bridge was taken after experts were called in to inspect the damaged keystone masonry after it was feared that the structure would collapse.

The Sounding Arch had already had a narrow escape from demolition back in 1949 when it was announced that the highways authorities intended to pull down the bridge. After protests by local people, and a suggestion to raise a public subscription to preserve the structure, the plan was revoked.

The death knell for the bridge finally sounded early on the morning of Saturday, March 12, 1966 when a gang of workmen began to pull it down and completed the task the following day.

It would have cost just £100 to make the bridge safe more than 40 years ago but at the time road improvement plans were also being put forward which would see the arch demolished in the following 12 months.

A pity A Hampshire County Council spokesman at the time, said: "In another situation it would be an attractive structure and worthy of preservation.

"It is a pity to see it go.'' Motorists, on the other hand, were pleased to see the back of the structure. The Sounding Arch had only 9ft 6in headroom which made a tight fit for passing singledecker buses half-way down a steep hill and proceeded by a sharp bend banked high on either side.

For the next five years the discarded 100 tons of stone walling was abandoned in a pile at a council depot near Romsey. In 1971, just before it was going to be broken up and used as hardcore, the masonry was bought by the owner of a garden centre.