Thames bridge to remain shut for months

Work to refurbish or replace a closed footbridge across the River Thames will not start for at least a year.

Temple Footbridge provides a crossing over the river just upstream from Temple Lock, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire and Hurley in Berkshire.

It has been shut since 2023 after the Environment Agency said it found "numerous structural and safety concerns".

Its damaged central section was removed in November during nine hours of work, and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead councillors were told it was yet to be decided if it can be fully repaired.

Part of the bridge still needs to be inspected and the council's Local Access Forum heard an outline design for future work could be published in October 2026.

Jacqui Wheeler, the Royal Borough's parks and countryside access officer, said: "Due to the volume of tropical hardwood within the current bridge, as well as some design improvements that can be made, a major refurbishment might not be possible.

"[The bridge] is going to be closed for quite some time to come still."

In May, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs invested £500,000 towards repair works, split equally between Temple Bridge and Marsh Lock Horsebridge in Henley.