Tadcaster : Broken Bridge

We went to Tadcaster for a walk along the river. Glorious sunshine, clear blue sky but very cold, a lovely day for a walk. There are huge lakes in the fields alongside the river where the water came over the levées.

I stopped to survey the damage caused to the bridge by the recent floods. It is such a sad sight to see this old bridge (about 300 years old) in such a bad way.

It has made national news - initially because someone had caught the moment of collapse on video. This is the only road bridge over the river in town and to get from one side of town to the other involves lengthy detours. Repairs are expected to take at least a year.

There are plans to build a temporary footbridge alongside, but this has been thwarted by a local landowner who refuses to let it be built on his land (he is the owner of Sam Smith's Tadcaster Brewery). However we have heard today that an alternative location about 100 metres downstream has been agreed and construction will start in a few weeks.