Main content

Buxton Pavilion Gardens, Derbyshire: Bridge Building Practice

A series of postcards were produced in Buxton during World War One.

They depict soldiers from the Royal Engineers practising building bridges and pontoons across the lake at the Pavilion Gardens in the town. The soldiers based there used them to write home.

One soldier writing home to Twickenham tells his wife that the light bridges can hold a seven and half tonne truck, the heavy bridges all the other hefty equipment required for war.

It’s thought that the gardens were used because of the lakes depth and width as well as the resources of the local area.

Today it’s used as a public space for events as well as everyday use as a park.

Location: Buxton Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6BE
Image: Building Buxton bridge, courtesy of Richard Farman

Release date:

Duration:

2 minutes

Featured in...