Medieval bridge gets go-ahead for £5m restoration

Powick Old Bridge after the partial collapse due to flooding

A flood-damaged medieval bridge is going to be restored in Worcester after plans for a £5m project were approved.

The Reform cabinet at the county council has agreed to earmark the spending on Powick Old Bridge, which suffered a partial collapse in 2024.

They hope to start work in 2027, with the structure expected to reopen in 2028.

Councillor Alan Amos, a Reform cabinet member, said: "I'm absolutely over the moon."

He added the authority wanted to make the Grade I listed site more of a tourist attraction. The bridge over the River Teme dates back to at least the 15th century. It is a Scheduled Monument, which is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building.

It played a key role in both the first engagement of the English Civil War, the Battle of Powick Bridge on 23 September, 1642, and its final battle - the Battle of Worcester on 3 September, 1651.

"We intend to restore it to its former glories - but we'll go further, and hopefully add some plaques or commemoration boards, so people can see just how historic this world-class site is," said Amos.

The bridge has been closed to pedestrians and cyclists since January 2024

In the cabinet meeting some councillors lamented the wait to get the work done and the fact it fell apart in the first place.

Councillor Tom Wells said: "For too long, the flooding issues and the damage to this bridge haven't received the attention they deserve.

"In the future, I hope more proactive work takes place to ensure there's not more damage to it."

Amos said the council would aim to bring the work forward, but it involves liaising with several bodies, including the Environment Agency.

The bridge has now been added by Historic England to its 2025 Heritage at Risk register, which could lead to grant funding for the restoration work.

A spokesperson for campaign group Friends of Powick Bridge said: "It needs to be in the care of an agency like English Heritage, who have professional expertise in managing and restoring scheduled monuments, not just managed as another highways asset."