The Uckfield Bridge Heritage Tour

Wilson reached behind a wall and produced a big photograph, telling me that this was a picture of the traction engine that knocked the bridge down, lying under the bridge, taken by Uckfield photographer Mr George Bingham Towner. 

'On Saturday 27 June 1903 a steam traction engine was being driven over the bridge by Mr Horace Wright and by Mr Frederick Bennett who was the steerer, and Mr Alfred Yeomans who probably did something else. When they were half way over the bridge pulling two trucks loaded with stone, the bridge broke and the traction engine fell straight down. Mr French the fireman and Dr Sweet the doctor helped the men up, and they weren't badly hurt.' 

Wilson stopped for a moment and referred to his notes, before continuing.

'Repairing the bridge took a long time and it didn't re-open until May 1904. Mr John Fife said that the new bridge was better than the Tower Bridge, the Tay Bridge and the Forth Bridge, but he might have been trying to be funny. Any Questions? No? Then that concludes the Uckfield Bridge Heritage Tour, I shall serve your refreshments in a minute.'

Wilson then tried to sell me a souvenir stone from the original bridge. I asked him if it was genuine. 

'It's a genuine stone,' he replied, a little shiftily.

'No, I mean is it genuinely from the original bridge?' I persisted.

'Probably. I found it under the new bridge, so where else would it be from? Or perhaps it's one of the stones that fell out of the carts the traction engine was pulling over the bridge. Either way it's a brilliant souvenir and well worth £5!'

I declined the souvenir stone and the refreshments, and thanked Wilson for a very interesting tour.