For grade II or grade I listed bridges, English Heritage will also need to be consulted. Lists of scheduled bridges can be obtained from local planning authorities. Over 30 bridges are listed in north Dorset alone. Often bridges are best seen from the river bank. At Holwell, the County Council have made a path down to the Caundle Brook so that the beautiful Cornford Bridge can be seen face on.
Names carry meaning, raising questions about their derivation.
The name of a river usually tells us something about it. It may be descriptive, tell of a previous owner of the land, or be named after some event or local notable. In north Dorset we are fortunate to have some beautiful chalk streams and many slower moving but volatile streams which drain the clay vale. Stour means 'strong or powerful one' warning of how a seemingly languid river on clay can become a frightening torrent in a just few hours after rain. Even if streams are named on the OS map, it is worth asking parish elders, relevant landholders, historians and archivists.