* The historic Chain Bridge is to be brought back to life after 30 years of dereliction.
A VISIONARY scheme to bring Llangollen’s world
famous Chain Bridge back to life is set to go ahead after receiving a £350,000
cash boost.
At their meeting last night (Tuesday) members of
the town council were given the good news that their grant application to the
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) – made jointly with neighbouring Llantysilio
Community Council – has just been approved.
And Llangollen’s mayor said he was hopeful the
historic bridge spanning the River Dee, which has been closed for safety
reasons for 30 years, will be re-opened to the public early next year.
The two councils bought the bridge from its
previous owner, businesswoman Stephanie Booth who also ran the adjacent Chain Bridge
Hotel, in 2007 and have since been working to secure the funding necessary to
see it repaired and returned to its former glory as a major tourist attraction.
First injection of cash came a few years later when
the HLF made a grant of £28,900 to pay for the preparation of a detailed report
on how the bridge could be restored.
The project took another step forward last month
when it landed a grant of £50,000 from WREN, a not-for-profit business which
awards cash to community, environmental and heritage projects.
The bridge crosses the river, which itself runs
parallel to the Llangollen heritage railway line on one side and Llangollen
Canal on the other near its source, the Horseshoe Falls.
The plan is to fix the bridge and create disabled
access via nearby Berwyn Station along with an exhibition and other community
events.
The HLF grant bid included working with community
groups such as local schools and history groups, including Llangollen Museum.
One of the aims is to see tourists travelling along
Llangollen Canal via horse-drawn boats and then crossing the bridge to take a
steam train ride back into Llangollen.
The original bridge was built around 1817 by
Exuperius Pickering, a local entrepreneur dealing in coal, limestone, slate and
iron bar, who is reputed to have called on engineer Thomas Telford to help with
the design and construction.
The new bridge allowed Pickering to monopolise the
local coal trade as it gave him access to the adjacent London to Holyhead road
- the A5.
It also meant he avoided paying tolls to cross the
main bridge over the river in Llangollen.
In 1876 the bridge was replaced by Sir Henry
Robertson, a part owner of Wrexham's former Brymbo Ironworks.
In 1928, freak flooding washed away most of the
bridge and it rebuilt in a style similar to Anglesey's Menai Suspension Bridge.
It was closed in the mid-1980s due to concerns over
its safety.
At the Llangollen Town Council meeting, town clerk
Gareth Thomas told members: “Our Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £350,000 has
now been confirmed.
“All things being equal we should now be able to
proceed in August.”
The mayor of Llangollen, Cllr Bob Lube, said later:
“This is fantastic news.
“We now look forward to creating a circular route
for tourists between the canal and the railway via the bridge, which I am sure
will add to the visitor experience we already have.
“It is great that the council has been able to do
this. Work can now go ahead and we are hopeful the bridge will open again early
next year.”
