We have some low bridges in Salisbury that HGV and lorry drivers heading to Churchfields Industrial Estate should know about, especially the 14′-3″ (4.34 Meters) bridge in Fisherton Street and the 10″-3″ (3.12 Meters) bridge in Cherry Orchard Lane.
If you’re heading to Churchfields Ind Est for the first time, you might like to know the two common routes from outside of the City. One involves going under that bridge in Fisherton Street and the other avoids the low bridges in Salisbury.
Low Bridges In Salisbury – Fisherton Street
This is the route in from St Paul’s Roundabout (A36) and I would think that it’s a popular route down from the A303. If you can comfortably drive under the bridge with its 14′-3″ (4.34 Meters) height restriction then you’re well on your way to getting to Churchfields.
Straight after the bridge is a tight right turn into South Western Rd, which has a Zebra crossing, before getting to Mill Road on the left and on to the Industrial estate.
If you’re unlucky enough to strike the bridge then Rail Track will likely get involved and you’ll make the local news.. please be careful
Exeter Street HGV Route
The only safe HGV route into Churchfields Ind Est, Salisbury that avoids any low bridges is from Exeter Street Roundabout. The roundabout is on the A338 where Churchill Way South and New Bridge Road meet.
The route is Exeter St, New Street (on the left), Crane Street, Cranebridge Road, Mill Road and then left into Churchfields Road.
The route back is slightly different. Right into Mill Road, Cranebridge Road, Crane Street, New Street, Straight ahead to Ivy Street, Right into Brown Street, follow on round into St Ann Street and left into Exeter Street.
The two HGV and lorry routes above are the only ones that you should take in or out of the estate…please.
Cherry Orchard Lane – Bad Route For HGVs
If you’ve driven past the Brunel Road turning in Lower Road, and the Audi and VW showrooms, then you’ll probably have to turn around. The road ahead, at the junction with Cherry Orchard Lane, has a 7.5 Tonne limit and some tight bends.
Back in 2016, an HGV got stuck by St Andrew’s Church in Lower Bemerton for about 4 hours, according to an article in the Salisbury Journal. The lorry driver was there for four hours and issued with fixed penalty notice for ignoring the very visible signs. The road is totally unsuitable to goods vehicles although I appreciate that they sometimes have to make deliveries.
If you turn right at the junction into Cherry Orchard Lane then you’ll certainly have to turn around. There is a low bridge with a 10′-3″ (3.12 Meters) height restriction. Luton vans hit this bridge occasionally and it makes a real mess.
Sadly, Sat-Navs designed for cars don’t display the low bridges in Salisbury.
It might be tempting to use the entrance to Hedley Davis Court for turning around but the elderly residents who live there won’t thank you for it. A VW Golf was damaged recently when a coach reversed in and failed to stop, luckily, a couple of residents took photos as evidence. If you drive your HGV in there, they will probably take your photo as well.
A lack Of Road Signs For HGVs
One of the reasons that lorries and HGVs end up at this end of Churchfields Ind Est maybe the lack of road signage warning of the restrictions in Lower Bemerton.
If an HGV drives up Brunel Road then there’s a clear sign telling them to turn right. If a lorry is a litttle lost, maybe having missed the turning into Stephenson Rd or driving past a destination, there is little to warn them until it’s too late. There is a faded sign outside the Audi showroom to warn of the low bridge in Cherry Orchard Lane but, again, it’s too late.
I believe this lack of signage is partly why there are lorry problems in Lower Bemerton.
Low Bridge Wilton, Salisbury (A36)
One final bridge to mention is a little way out of the City. The Wilton low bridge in on the other side of the town, along Warminster Road, just before Kingsway Trading Estate.
It has a height limit of 14′-0″ (4.2 Meters) at the centre but just 11′-0″ (3.3 Meters) on one side when you look at it from the Wilton Side. When you look at it from the other side the lower height limit is 12′-3″ (3.73 Meters). The bridge is quite often in the local news when a lorry hits it.