Lincoln High Bridge path temporarily closed over safety fears

The medieval High Bridge spans the River Witham near the bottom of High Street in Lincoln

A walkway which leads to a famous city centre bridge in Lincoln known as the "Glory Hole" has been temporarily closed after being deemed unsafe.

Slabs on the path to the medieval High Bridge, which runs alongside the River Witham, had begun to lift, Lincolnshire County Council said.

Surveys were needed to find out what could be done to safely re-open the footway, the authority added.

The council said it could not say how long the walkway would be closed.

The raised slabs were examined by maintenance crews who discovered a series of fractured wooden beams which were part of the original construction, according to a council spokesperson.

The council thanked everyone affected by the closure of the High Bridge path for their patience

Areas of the concrete bed were also found to be beginning to fail.

Officials said it was possible a new structure would need to be built to support the footway, with some of the works likely to be required from the river itself because of the limited access.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: "We are indebted to our excellent inspection team who identified the issues at the Glory Hole and put into motion immediate efforts to address the issue."

Mr Davies said that usually the council would be able to indicate how long a programme of works would take.

"In this case, it's not as simple as that just yet and we will update with a timescale once we have carried out the full investigation," he said.

High Bridge is said to be the oldest bridge in the UK which still has buildings upon it.