Communities connected: steel bridges on the River Nene formally opened at Chester House Estate

Two much-needed pedestrian bridges have been formally opened today and are now fully in use – re-connecting communities in the north of Northamptonshire for the first time since an arson attack forced the former wooden bridges to be closed and deemed unsafe to cross.

The new steel structures, opened to the public in October, were formally unveiled by North Northamptonshire Council (who oversee Chester House Estate) and partners on 25 November.

The bridges, which cross the main River Nene and a backwater and link Wellingborough, Irchester and Rushden with Chester House Estate, have been completed and installed after more than a year of consultation, planning, designing and construction - just in time for the Estate’s second Christmas since officially opening to the public.

Cllr Graham Lawman, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, said: “The old wooden bridges have been out of use since 2015, so it’s been a project close to so many people’s hearts for years and I am delighted that the accessible bridges are now open and we have been able to reinstate this important Public Right of Way, opening up Chester House to walkers along the Nene Valley and further enhancing our Greenway infrastructure project. I saw plenty of walkers already using it the weekend that it was opened.

“Due to the history of the site, the teams have had to work very carefully, protecting the environment on a challenging project, including installing a unique haul road, so it is great that we have been able to come together to formally celebrate the new bridges at Chester House Estate.”

This project was made possible thanks to funding from The Department for Transport (DfT) and was led by North Northamptonshire Council.

Cllr Helen Howell, the council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “We are delighted the wait is over and since the bridges opened a few weeks ago, Chester House Estate is now being discovered and enjoyed by new visitors – walkers, ramblers, families, friends and community groups.

“With plenty of events taking place at Chester House over the Christmas period, now is the perfect time to take a trip to the site. Maybe you could leave the car at home and take a walk along the Greenway, entering the site over the new bridges which not only makes access to Chester House Estate and its 10,000 years of history more accessible, but allow for some great views and opportunities to discover the natural habitat along the river Nene from a new viewpoint on the bridges”

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, added: “We know how important these pedestrian bridges are to the people of North Northamptonshire and have been working closely with our Highways team, alongside key partners, to design and install new bridges, ones that will be here for years to come.”

Kier Highways, which secured highways maintenance contracts with NNC earlier this year, started works on the historical Chester House site while part of a joint venture with WSP in 2021.

Since then, the provider has overcome a range of obstacles – such as transporting the structures across the floodplains at the site of special scientific interest (SSSI) while protecting archaeological findings.

James Birch, managing director for Kier Highways maintenance, said: “We’re proud to reach this significant milestone on behalf of North Northamptonshire Council and Chester House Estate and it’s fantastic to see the positive impact realised in such a short space of time.

“It’s clear how important the bridges are to visitors and local residents and the connections they bring to towns and villages. We’re pleased to have played some part in the rich history of Chester House and look forward to learning how communities benefit from these bridges well into the future. This unique project has required excellent collaboration from all stakeholders.”

Chester House Estate is overseen by North Northamptonshire Council and opened to the public in October 2021, following an extensive £17m Nationally Lottery Heritage Funded restoration project.

TIMELINE

2015: The wooden bridges, damaged by arson, are deemed unsafe and are closed.

March 2021: Kier Highways carry out the borehole ground investigation needed to design the bridge foundations, a process required in order to obtain Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England.

Stakeholder conversations and consultation pick up pace among key partners including Kier Highways and Chester House Estate, along with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Historic England.

November 2021: Following careful consideration by statutory bodies of the bridge design and installation plans, Kier Highways are able to get the project on course, commissioning Beaver Bridges.

March 2022: The bridge design is approved.

June 2022: Construction starts on the haul road, needed to bring the crane and steel down to the river. This temporary road is specifically designed to carry considerable weight, ensuring there is no damage to the historic site. This takes six weeks.

Northamptonshire Highways installed the haul road and our compound to allow our plant and machinery to get down to the river and the location of the two bridges.The haul road was essential to protect the land and was capable of carrying considerable weight.

August 2022: A 220-tonne crane was used to access the site, carefully bringing in the steel bridge elements to construct both bridges. This took approximately five weeks.

October 2022: The bridges unofficially opened and for the first time the public were able to walk across the River Nene to access Chester House Estate.

November 25th 2022: Our official unveiling, with a host of special guests and VIPs.