This paper is concerned with elucidation of the general properties of the bending edge wave in a thin linearly elastic plate which is supported by a Winkler foundation. A homogeneous wave of arbitrary profile is considered, and represented in terms of a single harmonic function. This serves as the basis for derivation of an explicit asymptotic model, containing an elliptic equation governing the decay away from the edge, together with a parabolic equation at the edge, corresponding to beam-like behaviour. The model extracts the contribution of the edge wave from the overall dynamic response of the plate, providing significant simplification for analysis of the localised near-edge wave field.