Ramsey swing bridge: Calls to protect town's landmark feature

The distinctive steel structure has been a feature of the town since 1892

Calls have been made for a landmark Victorian swing bridge in the north of the Isle of Man to be permanently protected.

Ramsey Commissioners want the much-loved feature of the town to be safeguarded.

It follows the registration of Ramsey's war memorial and a proposal to protect a nearby red telephone kiosk.

Outgoing commissioners chairman Andy Cowie said the bridge was "an integral part of Ramsey's skyline."

The board has written to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) with a formal request for it to be added to the Protected Buildings Register.

Mr Cowie said: "The recent registration of a telephone box whilst ignoring such a historic engineering structure seemed strange to the board and has prompted our request."

It was important that the bridge was maintained for future generations, he added.

The bridge was built by the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company in 1892 and underwent an "extensive" refurbishment in 2013.

While it was commissioned and built for the commissioners, the bridge is owned by the Department of Infrastructure.

A decision will be made by DEFA on whether the structure will be added to the list, in due course.