Our Projects - Paradoe Bridge

Situated in a valley close to Nare Head, this bridge forms part of a busy and popular section of the South West Coast Path.

Due to bank erosion from past heavy rain storms the bearing at one end of the existing bridge was severely undercut and the installation of a new and longer bridge was essential to keep the path safe and open into the future.

Using funding from the South West Coast Path Association to cover the costs of materials, a new bridge was constructed from oak. The construction and installation work was undertaken by National Trust staff and volunteers. Due to the difficult access, the bridge was first constructed off site to enable all the constituent parts to be formed, pre-drilled and put together to ensure easy on site installation. The bridge was then partly dismantled to allow it to be transported and carried to site with assistance from a local farmer.

Once all the parts were on site, they were then reassembled to construct the completed bridge, using the existing bridge as a working platform. The existing bridge was then removed. This new bridge, being constructed from oak and considerably longer, will now secure access along this section of Coast Path for many more years to come.