A MAJOR blockage to the restoration of the Buckingham Canal is the demolished bridge at Cosgrove, but work has now started in its restoration.
Restoration of this bridge by the Buckingham Canal Society (BCS) would be the first significant milestone towards the re-watering of the Cosgrove section of the Buckingham Canal.
Demolished
It was during the Second World War, the Old Stratford Arm of the Grand Union Canal, now part of the Buckingham Canal, was blocked off at Bridge No 1. The bridge itself remained intact until the 1970's when its main arch was demolished and filled in, leaving a mound of earth and rubble that has since served as a farm crossing. The above photographs shows the filled-in bridge during 1969. the one below shows the remains of the bridge being unearthed.
Earlier this year, BCS volunteers performed some exploratory hand excavation of this mound and confirmed that significant portions of the bridge still exist. Since then, working with support from Canal & River Trust and other adjacent landowners, the society have agreed plans for the full restoration of the bridge. This is a key milestone towards the eventual removal of the blockage and full re-watering of the Cosgrove section.
Funding applied for
The project work at Cosgrove so far is funded by the society's direct fundraising efforts. Grant funding has also been applied for, for the material costs of rebuilding of the bridge.
Over the past few months BCS volunteers have created a temporary farm crossing, adjacent to the bridge, allowing the formal closing of the bridge and the installation of necessary safety fencing. The volunteers have now started work on the excavation of the in-filled barrel and the abutments.
In the last few days more of the original stonework and the sides of the original arch have been exposed providing encouraging signs that the restoration is achievable.