Plan to save bridge from 'shocking deterioration'

Plans are being drawn up to save a Victorian bridge which is described as being in "shocking structural deterioration".

Grade II* listed Horkstow Suspension Bridge, which crosses the River Ancholme in North Lincolnshire, will need a multimillion-pound restoration, according to the local council.

The Environment Agency, which owns the bridge, said it was exploring possible National Lottery Heritage funding.

Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, described the bridge as "much more than a crossing. It is an important part of our area's history and one of the country's most significant examples of early Victorian engineering".

"When further investigations uncovered the true scale of the structural problems, it became clear this was no longer simply about repairing a bridge. This is about saving a nationally important piece of our heritage," he said.

The bridge was closed in early 2025 after it was deemed unsafe following a structural inspection.

The council said a more detailed inspection had "uncovered extensive hidden deterioration throughout the 190-year-old structure, including movement within its foundations, failing structural elements and significant corrosion".

It was designed by Sir John Rennie, opened in 1835 and is one of the earliest largely unaltered suspension bridges in Britain.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "We want to ensure a sustainable, long-term future for the bridge.

"If the funding bid is successful, we would look to establish a Friends of Horkstow Bridge group, giving the local community the opportunity to become actively involved in celebrating and protecting one of North Lincolnshire's most remarkable historic landmarks."

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