New link road bridge in Dawlish named after flower

A new bridge over a brook in Devon has been named.

The bridge, over Shutterton Brook in Dawlish, is part of a new link road, which is due to connect to the A379 to help access about 800 new homes planned for the area across three sites, Teignbridge District Council said.

Sweet Violets Bridge, the name chosen by Dawlish Town Council, was to serve as a lasting tribute to area’s “once-vibrant” violet flowers industry, it added.

The flowers played an important role in the local economy in the early 20th Century, when the growing and transportation of sweet violets was a thriving business in the area, providing employment and independence to ex-servicemen after World War One.

As part of the industry a “violet train” ran daily from Cornwall to London, freshly-picked violets were transported from Dawlish station to Covent Garden, making them a preferred option over imported French flowers, officials said.