Refurbished pond bridge is a great improvement

The attractive timber footbridge at North Pond at Bishop’s Waltham has had deck planks replaced and other parts of the structure refurbished in a project which started at the end of July.

Works were agreed with Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council to avoid the school term and coincide with the summer holidays.

The £47,000 scheme was finished by the end of August and was carried out by AD Southern Ltd on behalf of Winchester City Council.

Residents are delighted with the high standard of the finished bridge and were pleased the work was carried out in a quiet and efficient manner.

Part of the old bridge has found an unusual new use after a resident whose late wife loved to use the bridge asked if he could have one of the planks to make a plinth for her grave.

Barry Jerome is the chairman of the Bishop’s Waltham North Pond Conservation Group.

Volunteers have been looking after the pond for the past eight years because it had turned into more of a wet woodland.

Now it stays filled until late August, meaning water birds no longer have to risk being killed crossing to the south pond.

Mr Jerome said: ‘The new bridge is excellent. Everyone who has seen it really likes it.’

Lindsay Edge is the clerk at Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council.

She said; ‘We are very pleased with the new bridge.

‘The new surface is perfect for it. We’re hoping it will be much better in the winter weather as the old surface was quite slippery.

‘It’s also a lovely colour, with shades of pink in the slats. It’s much more attractive than the old bridge.’

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