Railway fencing on Sway's Cox Hill bridge branded 'ugly as sin.'

FENCING put up to protect horse riders on a railway bridge near Sway has been branded “ugly as sin” by a resident who is campaigning for it to be removed.

The green wire fence was installed on the Cox Hill crossing after equestrians complained to Network Rail that they felt “unsafe” going over it.

One of them, who did not want to be named, told the A&T: “The bridge walls are very low, and it is above a live rail.

“It can get very slippery in wet weather and horse riders just did not feel safe crossing it as it was. The brickwork was only about 17 hands high.

“They felt they could easily fall onto the line if their horse spooked or slipped. We are very pleased Network Rail have listened to our concerns and acted so quickly.”

But not all local residents are pleased about the changes to the bridge which runs from Setley Pond to Shirley Holms.

Roger Owens described it as “ugly as sin”, adding: “It is totally out of keeping with an old Victorian red brick bridge.

“It just looks awful. It is a quaint railway bridge in the middle of the New Forest, it just looks terrible now.”

He has now written to Network Rail asking if the fencing can be removed and replaced by “something more in keeping”.

Mr Owen said: “A row of iron railings on top of the brick walls would look much better than a load of green, cheap-looking fencing.”

He has the backing of some other residents, one of whom commented on social media: “It has totally ruined the bridge.

“I don’t see why the riders could not just have got off their horses and walked them across, rather than demanding this be installed.”

Another woman agreed: “After trudging over the heath, it always lifted my spirits to cross the stream and come to this beautiful spot tucked away in the Forest. The climb up to the bridge, and there one could rest against the parapet and absorb the ambience of such a wonderful place.

“I’ve not got much longer to live, so I’m just crying for beauty that has been lost.”

One horse rider said she did not agree with the fencing either, saying: “To be brutally honest, if you have an unpredictable horse and don’t want to get off then don’t go over the bridge.

“You have the rest of the whole Forest to ride in.”

A spokesperson for Network Rail confirmed that the fencing had been put up after horse riders petitioned for it.

But they added: “Following the installation of the fence at Cox Lane bridge to protect horse riders in the New Forest area, we have received a complaint from a group of residents which is being looked into.”