‘Bring out your canoes, the Lavants have flooded again!’ | Nostalgia
!['I can row a boat, canoe?'. The view from the other side of the Dean Lane End bridge, circa 1900. Picture: Ralph Cousins postcard collection.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjBjMWY1YjAwLTlkMTEtNGUzYi04ZjJhLWMzNTcwZjUzODg5Zjo0NDMxYzE5ZS0xY2Q2LTQ4M2QtYTBlMy05ZDA2YjlmMWFmMDQ=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
!['I can row a boat, canoe?'. The view from the other side of the Dean Lane End bridge, circa 1900. Picture: Ralph Cousins postcard collection.](/img/placeholder.png)
Today we see the same railway bridge but from the other side.
The picture was taken at the beginning of the last century and the water is so deep from the flooding Lavants you could obviously paddle through it in a canoe.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMany pedestrians are standing on staging to save their feet from getting wet. A photographer on the scene in those far off days was an occasion not to be missed. He was Alf Harris.
![The railway bridge at Dean Lane End 2020. Picture: Bob Hind](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmFlMmU0ZjM1LTM2NmUtNDhlNy05OTBkLTg4Y2I1N2UyMTJlMTowMWQzNDQ4My05ZjEwLTQyZWEtODg3OC1iOTA4Y2UyMDUyYTc=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![The railway bridge at Dean Lane End 2020. Picture: Bob Hind](/img/placeholder.png)
See also; So you thought you knew Havant?
When I was a kid I used to pick primroses from the railway embankment on the right. Impossible nowadays.
The embankments were always kept clear otherwise ash from passing steam engines would set fire to the growth. No need for that today of course.
My picture, taken a few days ago, shows a still-rural scene, I am glad to say.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe pedestrians have gone but the bridge and brick remain the same.
Handrails have been added along the top of the bridge for workers to hold on to when walking along the cess (the path beside the railway line). All to do with health and safety of course.
A message from the editor, Mark Waldron. Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues. The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online. Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.