The first phase of the Darley Dale footbridge restoration is now well underway at our contractors, Steelway Fensecure, Wolverhampton. The staircases and related components were the first parts of the bridge to be transported from Rowsley thanks to Peak Rail PLC. The lattice span, which most people will be familiar with, will follow after this phase has been completed.
You can see that temporary nuts and bolts have been fitted before being re-riveting on their return to Rowsley South.
The work involves both conservation of the serviceable original metalwork, and the creation of new steelwork to ensure that the bridge, when back in place, complies with the extensive structural calculations which have been completed earlier in the project. This will ensure that the bridge can be insured for passenger and visitor footfalls, and not simply be installed as a piece of railway architecture.
The Trust is very grateful to the volunteers who have already put in a huge amount of time, often in challenging conditions (as shown in the photographs), to prepare the bridge for transportation, and to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the substantial grant awarded.