Story & photo: Rohan Francis
The Cobweb footbridge over the River Don at the Wicker Arches reopened in December after Council repairs were made possible by a donation from the Five Weirs Walk Trust.
The work was necessary after the bridge became unsafe due to deterioration of the timber decking. It had been closed for safety reasons and walkers had been forced to take a detour around the inaccessible stretch of the riverbank. This latest work includes temporary repairs which the Council plans to make permanent later this year.
The bridge, which owes its name to its distinctive ‘web’ of steel suspension cables, hangs beneath one of the stone arches of the Wicker Viaduct. It was opened in 2004 but has seen previous closures due to the repeated theft of metal cables.