A nearly 700-year-old medieval bridge has been closed for essential works after the town saw historic flooding.
Wiltshire Council has closed Barton Bridge, or the Packhorse Bridge, in Bradford on Avon to carry out essential bridge works.
It comes after the River Avon, which the bridge spans, reached “record levels” of over 3.5 metres with rain from Storm Bert according to the town mayor, Jack Vittles.
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The closure will be in place for 21 days from November 27 and Bradford on Avon Town Council says that updates will be provided when possible.
A diversion has been set up following footpath 69 (Bradford on Avon) to its junction with footpath 67, through St Margaret's Hall to footpath 66, across McKeever footbridge to Church Street, then continuing via footpaths 30, 28 and 16, and vice versa.
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Councillor Jack Vittles said that the area around the river became “severely flooded” with streets closed and “businesses ruined”.
Meanwhile, the Bradford on Avon Town Bridge reopened on the morning of Wednesday, November 27.
The bridge was built around 1340. Although commonly referred to as the packhorse bridge, the local museum stresses that Barton Bridge is not a packhorse bridge.
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