Hempyard Bridge in Ixworth reopens after repair works

Hempyard Bridge in Ixworth, near Bury St Edmunds, was closed earlier this year to allow for restoration works to take place. 

It follows a campaign, fought over more than a decade by Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe Parish Council, to get Suffolk County Council to address the deteriorating condition of the bridge.

A temporary closure was put in place to allow for repairs to be completed (Image: Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe Parish Council) Ben Lord, chairman of the 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."

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In 2018, a temporary wooden structure was erected over the bridge, which has curtilage listing as part of the Grade I-listed Ixworth Abbey, to preserve its edges. 

Among the work completed by Suffolk Highways includes installing new foundations to reinforce the structure.

Parish council chair Ben Lord said the community is immensely grateful for the repairs (Image: Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe Parish Council) A spokesperson for the authority said: "There are some minor works ongoing in the area to reinstate the track, install public right of way signage and complete additional planting.

"We thank the local community for their patience and interest in the project whilst these essential improvements have been carried out."

Representatives from the local community came together to celebrate the reopening of the bridge.

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The parish council is exploring options to enrich the area further and preserve it to its full potential.

Mr Lord added: "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.”