Pooley Bridge.

Having made a quick visit to the Lodge we decided to continue up the valley to have a look at Pooley Bridge.  In 2015 when Storm Desmond struck Cumbria many bridges and roads were damaged and/or destroyed.  The lovely double stone arch of Pooley Bridge was swept away.

After a while a temporary bridge was erected using mainly sections very similar to the old Bailey Bridges (perhaps even the genuine article).  That has remained in place until this summer.  Work has started on the permanent replacement.  The first job was to use the material from the temporary bridge to make a foot bridge.

The shot shows work on the foundations.  There is a "compound"  made by piling where reinforcing is being put in ready to pour concrete.  Pumps were pumping water out of the "compound" into the little "lagoon", from there pipes carried the water back into the river.  Why this system I do not know.

A sad feature was the far bank of the river.  Before work started it was a car park fringed with trees and sloped very gently down to the waters edge.  This was extremely popular with visitors, the water was shallow and safe for a paddle.  Now there is a 1 - 1.5m (4 or 5 ft) boulder wall dropping straight into the river and of course the trees are gone.  I suspect this might have an affect on some of the businesses in the village.

Foot note.  I learned recently that the Pooley part of the name has nothing to do with the river or water, it is in fact thought to be a corruption of Powley an important local family in times gone by.  The concept of naming a bridge after a person is quite common on the canals.