We both remember the very serious floods of December 2015 which created chaos in north west England as well as other regions. Storm Desmond flooded towns and villages, there was no electricity for several days and the disruption lasted months.
A temporary ‘army’ bridge was installed a few weeks later but we completely missed the installation of the new, permanent bridge. As it took place in May 2020 we were probably distracted by the first lockdown of the pandemic and more concerned about shortages of pasta and toilet rolls.
We were recently in Pooley Bridge and were pleased to see the new bridge which couldn’t be more different from its predecessor. Made of stainless steel, it looks elegant and delicate. It includes a number of clever design features as a result of consultations with local people. For example the pavement is wider in the middle of the bridge because pedestrians like to stop there to enjoy the view - so no more stepping into the road to get round them.
One of the saddest consequences was the loss of the ancient bridge at Pooley Bridge, the village at the north east end of Ullswater. The stone bridge dated from 1764 and had withstood over 250 years of storms and floods - but it collapsed in just a few hours in 2015.
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| The stone bridge of 1764 which gave the village it name |
A temporary ‘army’ bridge was installed a few weeks later but we completely missed the installation of the new, permanent bridge. As it took place in May 2020 we were probably distracted by the first lockdown of the pandemic and more concerned about shortages of pasta and toilet rolls.
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| The new stainless steel bridge, opened in 2020 |
We were recently in Pooley Bridge and were pleased to see the new bridge which couldn’t be more different from its predecessor. Made of stainless steel, it looks elegant and delicate. It includes a number of clever design features as a result of consultations with local people. For example the pavement is wider in the middle of the bridge because pedestrians like to stop there to enjoy the view - so no more stepping into the road to get round them.
Here’s to the next 250 years.