Oi! Give Us Back Our Bridge!

A missing bridge over the river Nidd in North Yorkshire is to become the focus for a Ramblers Association campaign to raise awareness of the difficulty in using approximately one third of the rights of way in England.

An iron bridge crossing the river was removed in 1969, preventing walkers from following an bridleway, without swimming across the river. Protestors took legal action against North Yorkshire County Council, which has agreed to provide a new bridge.

This however is sitting in a yard in Selby while the council negotiate with landowners to get it in place. Meanwhile the RA is accusing the council of 'dragging its heels' over its failure to install the bridge, which the council say is due to an obstructive landowner.

Local people and rights of way campaigners are planning to walk from the parish church in Tockwith to the site of the bridge in protest this evening - Tuesday - with the prospect of further legal action in the offing.

Meanwhile the RA estimates that it would cost £69.2 million to have the entire footpath network 'open and easily navigable'. You can see the whole story in the Guardian here and find out more about the RA's footpath campaign on this page.