Bridge could open after 23 years

The original bridge of 1814 was ruined by rust

An historic Denbighshire bridge could be restored and opened to the public for the first time since 1984.

The Georgian chain bridge at Berwyn, which spans the River Dee, was built in 1814 but was declared unsafe in 1984.

It is owned by businesswoman Stephanie Booth, who bought the nearby Chainbridge Hotel four years ago.

She has agreed that Llangollen Town Council will take responsibility for the bridge, and it will seek about £100,000 funding for the restoration.

The agreement between the owner and the council means the bridge could re-open to the public again, if funding can be found.

Stephanie Booth said she had not had the time to restore the bridge.

Vintage

She added: "It's been a bit like having a vintage car parked in your drive that you intend to restore one day but never seem to have the time to get round to it.

"The bridge is safe whilst I am the owner, but property can change hands and there's no guarantee a future owner won't simply pull the bridge down - so all in all I'm delighted Llangollen Town Council will eventually take it under their wings."

The town council will seek to raise funding from both the private and public sectors.

The first chain bridge was built by Exuperius Pickering in 1814, to transport coal and slate and to save paying a toll across the main Llangollen bridge.

It is thought the council could soon take ownership of the bridge

The bridge suffered from rust, but was later acquired by engineer Henry Roberston, who replaced it.

However, the second construction was damaged by heavy flooding in 1928, and was later replaced with the current bridge, built by Robertson's son in 1929.

All the metal parts of the bridge were produced at the now-closed Brymbo steelworks.

It is thought Llangollen Town Council could eventually take over full ownership of the bridge.

Town mayor George Hughes said: "This is undoubtedly a very exciting development for the area.

"To have the historic chain bridge open once again can only be good for the community and tourism industry alike."

He added: "We are very grateful to Stephanie for her generous offer of the bridge and firmly believe its restoration will be the catalyst for these and other worthwhile developments in and around the area.

"It will be exactly 80 years since work on the existing bridge began next year and it would be terrific if we could see it open to the public once more to coincide with this special anniversary."