Tintagel Castle: English Heritage unveil winning bridge design concept

English Heritage's contest for the footbridge concept attracted more than 130 entries, but it was this Belgian-UK submission that was selected as the winner

The designers of a £4m footbridge at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall have been chosen by English Heritage.

The charity launched a competition in 2015 to design a bridge to improve access to the historic beauty spot.

Ney & Partners Civil Engineers, from Belgium, and William Matthews Associates, based in London, are behind the winning concept.

They were among 137 design groups to enter the international contest.

English Heritage said the new bridge - connecting two sites at the castle - will help visitors "better understand the site's history, improve access to the island, and help to protect and conserve the landscape".

English Heritage said the Belgian-UK design was chosen by the jury for its "elegant, delicate profile and structural ingenuity".

Kate Mavor, chief executive of English Heritage, said: "The winning team's concept is daring and very exciting. It is not the final design but instead a brilliant indication of the team's talent and imagination.

"We will now work with them on a design that will both complement the spectacular landscape and unlock for the visitor the history of the site."

Engineer Matthieu Mallié said the design brief was "very difficult"

The design team said it was "a rare privilege and honour" to be able to work on the project.

Civil engineer at Ney & Partners in Brussels, Matthieu Mallié, told the BBC: "We were surprised and also pleased of course to win the competition."

He said they had studied the Celtic history and the original drawbridge at Tintagel Castle before drawing up a solution with the architects.

"The brief was very difficult...One of the main challenges was to find a stable solution in the landscape."

English Heritage is hoping the bridge will be completed in 2019.