In 1999, Common Ground launched its national Naming of Brook and Bridge project, which encourages communities to discover and assert the names of streams by carving them into the stonework in a simple, particular and appropriate way on the bridges which cross them, going further to suggest that every river catchment has its own letter form, a kind of signature, so that you can tell which valley you are in from the lettering on the bridges. The first bridge to be named was Mill Bridge in Fontmell Magna, Dorset.

The scheme was initiated as part of Confluence and the first naming was supported by Fontmell Magna Parish Council and the Highways and Transportation division of the County Council who are responsible for the maintenance of Dorset's bridges.

We asked Richard Grasby, the internationally known letter cutter who lives in the parish to do the work and also to create a letterform, a whole alphabet, for the catchment of the Stour from which others can work.

An unconnected event, the crashing of a vehicle into the bridge, unexpectedly enabled Richard Grasby to carry out the carving of the coping stones in the comfort of his own workshop.

Maev Kennedy, Heritage Correspondent of the Guardian spent a half day with Sue Clifford and Angela King in and around Fontmell Magna on Sunday 3 October. Roger Bamber, Guardian photographer attended the ceremony. An article and picture appeared in the paper on October 6th. Meridian Television later did a piece for their news programme.

The ceremony involving building back the lettered coping stones was planned for October 4th and the project was launched by Sue Clifford (Joint Director of Common Ground), Ted Taylor of the DCC Highways Department and John Enderby on behalf of Fontmell Magna. The picture above shows Angelo Ferrari and Karl Breddy putting into place the named bridge stones.

Angelo and Karl were indulgent of the photographer from the Guardian who had them lifting and holding the lettered coping stones in ways reminiscent of an Olympic event. People enjoyed the moment, blessed by warming sunshine, which gave some of them the chance to challenge the county's highway men about the use of brighter bricks than the originals for the rebuilding of the fallen corner. Advice was forthcoming on the use of yoghurt and cow dung to hasten the recolonisation by lichen. Everyone agreed that Richard Grasby had set an exceptional quality standard in creating the letterform and accomplishing the work.

The event was attended by about 30 people from the village and some surrounding parishes who afterwards repaired to the chapel hall for tea and coffee laid on by the village.

Fontmell Magna has streams which journey along the streets, through old mill ponds and village gardens. At Springhead there is literally a rising, a bubbling up of pure clear water through soft sand - is this the Fontmell, the spring by the bare hill? The stream carries the name Collyer's Brook to the Mill Bridge, where, joined by Jacob's Brook, the name Fontmell Brook dominates as it flows on to join the Stour at Fontmell Parva.

Most small rivers and streams are unnamed on maps and it is surprising how few people know their names. The naming of things is one step towards raising their profile, understanding and cherishing them. Once things have a name, it is easier to tell stories about them, they become more valued. The same is true of bridges and many of them provide ideal spots from which to look at the water and fish below or to contemplate life's passing.

The bridges in the Stour catchment vary enormously - from Sturminster's grand medieval Town Bridge, the little packhorse bridges at Tarrant Monkton and Fifehead Neville, the suspension footbridge at Canford to hundreds of modest bridges such as that at Fontmell Magna.

Listed bridges cannot be touched without permission of the conservation officer of the local authority (for grade II listed bridges). 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.

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. North Dorset is fortunate to have some beautiful chalk streams and many slower moving but volatile streams which drain the clay vale. Stour itself 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. Tarrant implies 'trespasser' - and, like the Allen, it often emerges in its upper reaches to flow along the road or has the road taken advantage of the winterbourne bed? The word avon (afon) simply means river, and sometimes 'the brook' is all to be found; but a brook may gather more than one name along its length and over time.

Even if streams are named on the OS map, it is worth asking parish elders, relevant landholders, historians and archivists. If this fails, look at old maps and charters, at the Tithe Map from the mid nineteenth century, or at old farm and estate maps. Many of these are held at the County Record Office in Dorchester.

Since launching this project in October 1999 two neighbouring parishes have approached us for help to achieve brook namings on their bridges (letters have come from as far afield as Derbyshire and Durham). Melbury Abbas and Cann Parish Council in North Dorset commissioned letter cutter Rachel Jackson (left) to carve the 'River Stirchel' and 'French Mill Bridge' onto the bridge at French Mill and they hope to 'name' another brook and bridge over the Key Brook later in 2001.

Also in Dorset, Margaret Marsh and The Orchards Parish Council commissioned Rachel to work on the listed bride over the Key Brook at West Orchard which had been badly damaged by a car.

Outside of the catchment, Chichester District Council and the Sussex Downs Conservation Board are running a bridge-naming project for the Rother Valley in East Sussex.

We have prepared a draft Guide to Procedure and hope to raise funds to produce it in larger quantities. Also, with the lettercutter Richard Grasby, we are preparing an alphabet for use by lettercutters in the Stour Valley and as exemplar nationally.

You can read more about the naming of Mill Bridge, and the Naming of Brook and Bridge project in Confluence News no. 5

Common Ground's guidance notes for Naming of Rivers, Brooks and Bridges are now available on-line - click on THIS LINK