Bridge re-opens at long last
A MEDIEVAL bridge which has been closed for more than a year and caused considerable disruption to a village’s residents and businesses, has finally re-opened – but on the same day England entered its second national lockdown.
Tilford East Bridge was closed for essential works in September last year, which effectively split the tiny village of Tilford in two.
Investigations after a car accident in January 2017 revealed the bridge needed extensive repairs. Works had been on and off since then, with the current project beginning on June 17 last year. The bridge was closed to traffic on September 23 2019.
A spokesman for Surrey County Council confirmed it was due to reopen to traffic at 5pm on Thursday. In an ironic twist though, the opening coincided with the same day non-essential businesses closed for a second time, meaning the anticipated lifeline for some traders has been temporarily snatched away.
The Barley Mow pub, next to the bridge, is among the businesses forced to close again. For that reason, manager Debbie Glover was reserved with her celebrations.
She admitted “everyone is very happy and can’t wait” for the bridge to re-open, however the longawaited boost to footfall will not be felt due to the new restrictions.
Ms Glover said: “The work was needed, no one is disputing that, but I think the work could have been organised a lot better. I know the historical [repairs] are wonderful, but not at the expense of everyone’s lives today. The second lockdown is going to affect us again, but we are going to do takeaways. If the bridge does open, that will make it a better financial experience for us, hopefully. But it’s never easy.”
The works have substantially impacted the pub’s takings – the road closure forcing many customers to take a long detour – and the construction works were an eyesore.
Ms Glover said: “[The bridge being closed] has made a big difference over the last year. It definitely has affected our trade, you can see that in the figures. It has definitely made a difference to the community.”
Another business to be impacted is Tilford Village Shop, run since April 2018 by husband and wife Para and Mercy Prabhakaran.
Mr Prabhakaran said: “We are all very excited and [re-opening the bridge] is great news for us.
“Lots of parents have to drive through the village and do the school run on a daily basis; they will be pleased at the re-opening of the bridge, and those coming for work will be happy. And we will be happy because we will get customers back.”
It has been a difficult time for the shop. Mr Prabhakaran had to close for two months during the first lockdown due to stock issues. To cover the losses, he took a part-time job.
“There was a significant drop in sales and on top of that we had Covid-19,” he said. “They were hard times. Everyone knows we were making losses. I didn’t want to shut, I wanted to support the village.”
Mr Prabhakaran was able to reopen at the beginning of June.
The village’s 13th century ‘multispan’ bridge was built for the use of pedestrians and packhorses crossing the River Wey. According to Historic England, there are fewer than 200 examples of its type left in the country. It is among a chain of medieval bridges between Farnham and Guildford and was built by the Cistercian monks of Waverley Abbey.
As a scheduled monument, the Tilford East Bridge is considered to have national importance.
For this reason, the refurbishment has required specialist contractors to repair the stone work, strengthen the structure’s parapet and replace the hidden oak beams with steel versions. The refurbished bridge will have a 7.5-tonne weight limit.