Fordingbridge

Fordingbridge (population 6,000) is a former market town on the River Avon, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the north-west edge of the national park.

Fordingbridge was recorded in the Domesday Book under the name Forde. The town received its present name when the river was bridged at the town in 1286 or earlier. The first Great Bridge, built upstream of the ford in medieval times, is a local landmark with its seven graceful arches.

Once an industrial and commercial centre, Fordingbridge boasted many trades and was noted for its smuggling. The notorious Captain Diamond, the ‘Smuggler King’, spent much of his time in a local hostelry. A bronze statue of controversial painter Augustus John, who lived in Fordingbridge from 1927 until his death in 1961, stands on the banks of the Avon near the Great Bridge.

Fordingbridge Station was built in 1866, connecting Salisbury to the north and Poole to the south, but the Salisbury & Dorset Junction Railway closed in 1964.

A by-pass diverts heavy traffic away from the town centre and its narrow medieval bridge. There is a pleasant shopping area and a museum which houses local history exhibits.

The Avon Valley Path passes through Fordingbridge and there are some attractive walks along the river banks. There is also a riverside park where you can enjoy the view of the Great Bridge.