A COMMUNITY restoration project to return an old road bridge in Cirencester, which sits over the River Churn, back to its former glory has been completed.

Thanks to an injection of funding from the Hare Festival Way in 2014 and organised by the Cirencester Community Development Trust (CCDT) – Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) and Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) got involved to engage local stonemasons to repair the fallen parapets of Beeches Road bridge and return it to its former glory.

When the A429 and its modern flyover were built, the former road bridge, a classified conservation area, fell out of use and into disrepair.

Participants of GWT’s ‘Brighter Futures’ courses in the town, funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, were able to get involved in this restoration project by laying the stones of the rebuilt parapets.

“It is great to be able to restore such iconic areas of Cirencester as part of the Hare Festival Way,” said Will Masefield of GWT.

“Through such initiatives we are enhancing and connecting Cirencester’s green spaces, and helping to ensure that access to nature is an everyday part of people’s lives. In partnership with the town council, GCC, the Churn Project, CCDT and local community groups we hope to get more and more local residents involved in making Cirencester a more wildlife-friendly and a pleasanter place to live.”

Cllr Vernon Smith, GCC cabinet member for highways and flood said: “When GWT contacted us with their plans to rejuvenate this conservation area, we were delighted to help with the restoration cost of the Old Beeches Road bridge over the River Churn.

"I hope people in Cirencester will enjoy the improvements that have been made to this beautiful part of our county and I’d like to thank all the volunteers who have been involved.”

Find out more by visiting gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk