Background

The Grade I listed Powick Old Bridge in Worcester was closed in February 2024 to pedestrians and cyclists for safety reasons.

Investigations showed that part of the supporting wingwall collapsed into the River Teme, resulting in loss of material and support for the main bridge section.

The collapse of the bridge, which is also recognised as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, is likely caused by recent flooding and a buildup of debris.

According to Historic England, the bridge was constructed before 1447 and was partially rebuilt during the 17th century. It is constructed from stone with brick and is approximately 60m long and up to 7m wide. The bridge has a brick parapet approximately 1m high with chamfered stone coping except on the west where it is interrupted by a road.

Latest News

24 September 2024

Powick Old Bridge repair progresses with crane on site building working platform.

A crane is now on site lifting bags of stone (ballast) into the riverbed to create a dry working area at Powick Old Bridge, a key component in the long term repair of the historic monument.

A Spider Excavator is also on site recovering collapsed material from the river.

Bags of stone placed together to form a ballast wall will safeguard the collapsed area of the wingwall from further damage, and allow the arch and abutment to be inspected further.

It will also protect the damaged section from any further loss of material, and add support to the whole structure before the main repairs begin.

Having the ballast wall in place will prevent water from entering the arch so that work can take place, and if the river does flood, water will be diverted over the top.

This recovery approach will also lead to a large proportion of the original stonework being reclaimed from the river bed. The wing wall will need to be completely taken down as part of the repair process, however, the rebuild will use as much of the initial stone and brick as possible.

The temporary works will be followed by detailed design of a permanent reconstruction, which is being worked on in partnership with the Environment Agency and Historic England.

The design will require further approvals ahead of final works next year.

September 2024

Work is progressing as part of the repairs to Powick Old Bridge. An excavator is now on site moving stone into the river bed to create a dry working platform onto which bags of ballast will be lifted into place by a crane, arriving next week.

July 2024

First stage of long-term repair of Powick Old Bridge will begin in summer 2024.

A temporary ramp will be installed from the footway into the river channel, and a working platform created on the upstream side of the river, Worcestershire County Council has confirmed.

The purpose of the working platform is to safeguard the collapsed area of the wingwall from further damage, and to allow the arch and abutment to be thoroughly inspected.

Recognising the important historic nature and originality of the structure, it will also protect the damaged section from losing more material and add support to the whole structure before the main repairs begin.

The temporary works will be followed by detailed design of a permanent reconstruction which will require further approvals ahead of final works next year.

The temporary platform will prevent water from entering the arch so that work can take place, and if the river does flood water will be diverted over the top of the platform.

This approach will also lead to a substantial proportion of the original stonework being reclaimed from the riverbed. The wing wall will need to be completely taken down as part of the repair process, however, the rebuild will use as much of the initial stone and brick as possible.

It is hoped that the arch can be saved due to its historical significance, however, to further understand the extent of the damage the arch will need to be supported.

This will require an additional temporary platform downstream of the river. There may be a need to build a steel A-Frame which will then allow the arch to be reinforced so that the bridge can be fully inspected to enable repairs to commence.

It has taken time to get to this point as originally access was limited due to flooding and since then, there has been substantial engagement with key partners.

This includes Natural England, as the structure is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Historic England due to the important nature of the structure, the Environment Agency due to river impacts, as well as several specialist contractors. The design for the temporary works is as complicated as the permanent repair works.