Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe Parish Council celebrates Hempyard Bridge restoration after campaign that lasted more than a decade

A community in Suffolk is celebrating the restoration of a historic bridge following a campaign that lasted more than a decade.

Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe Parish Council hosted a jubilant reopening of Hempyard Bridge which is a listed structure dating back to at least the 16th century.

It was deemed a temporary measure when a wooden structure was installed over the deteriorating bridge in 2018 to preserve its edges.

A three-month temporary closure enabling restoration works has recently finished after the parish council had lobbied Suffolk County Council over the bridge’s condition for more than ten years.

Ben Lord, chairman of Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe Parish Council, said: “We are immensely grateful to Suffolk County Council for responding to our tenacious lobbying in finally carrying out the long overdue repairs and restoration of Hempyard Bridge.

“Aside from the statutory obligations for this to be done, Hempyard Bridge sits on our only bridleway in Ixworth that provides a gateway to accessing our countryside.”

“The quality and meticulous care that has been applied to these works can be clearly seen by how vastly improved the bridge now looks.

“As an important piece of our village’s historic culture, residents and visitors can now admire this area for the natural beauty it possesses.”

Cllr Lord added that he and the parish council look forward to exploring opportunities to enrich the area around Hempyard Bridge where residents have expressed a desire to see the area enhanced and preserved to its full potential.