One of the joys of growing up in the 1960s was to watch steam trains pass under a railway bridge and momentarily losing sight of your companions as you were covered in a plume of smoke – it never failed to amuse.

Now, years later, I often pause at the bridges during a cycle ride, to admire the surrounding countryside.

However, the forthcoming electrification of the London to Paddington line has blighted this pleasure. The Notton Lane overbridge, near Chippenham, for example, has recently re-opened after maintenance for the electrification of the Paddington to Bristol line.

I then found the beautiful Bath stone brickwork had been replaced by a wall of grey, unadorned, featureless cement. The height of this monstrosity is six feet three inches. Now if you stop at the bridge to rest the only way to admire the cattle, sheep and other life below is to carry a step ladder.

As the height of the sides of the bridge can have no bearing to the mechanisms below it seems a shame that such a beautiful bridge has been transformed into such an ugly blot on the landscape. I would be interested to know if this ‘improvement’ is to be a regular feature of the London to Bristol line?

William Hulbert, Dallas Road, Chippenham.