Southwold footpath reopens after 2010 closure

The footpath was closed in summer 2010 after cliff slippage turned it in to a safety hazard

The footpath reopened with new railings and a concrete wall on the cliff side

A seafront footpath in Southwold has reopened three years after it was closed when the cliff started slipping.

Ladies Walk, which runs for about 40yds (30m) between the lighthouse and pier, was shut by Waveney District Council in 2010 on safety grounds.

Engineering work to stabilise the cliff and rebuild the footpath is estimated to have cost £150,000.

The authority has partly funded the work by selling new beach huts in the town.

The footpath was originally built in the 1900s and it had become undermined by burrowing animals and ongoing erosion.

The rebuilt version was designed by Norwich-based Canham Consulting to last for another century.

Sue Allen, a Southwold Town and Waveney District councillor, said: "The whole of Southwold and its visitors will be absolutely delighted because it's a very well-loved and well-used path.

"The reason it's taken so long is down to finances because these things cost a lot of money."