Historic Borders bridge secures £250,000 for restoration project

A historic bridge over the River Teviot in the Borders has secured £250,000 for a major restoration project.

The Kalemouth Suspension Bridge - built around 200 years ago - was closed to vehicles in August 2020 after "substantial decay" was found in its timber deck.

Scottish Borders Council has won funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It plans to replace the timber work and deck bracing, as well as refurbish the ironwork and masonry to maintain it as a crossing for cyclists and pedestrians.

The local authority previously ruled out spending £4m to allow cars to use it again as it decided that expense could not be justified.

Councillor John Greenwell said the new funding was "an exciting step" towards the bridge's restoration.

He added: "With this support now in place, we can continue to move the project forward and work through the remaining detailed planning and funding stages needed to safeguard the bridge's future."

The bridge near Eckford was designed and built around 1835 by Capt Samuel Brown, who also built the Union Chain Bridge linking Scotland and England.

It carries an unclassified road which previously allowed single-file traffic - weighing less than three tonnes - to cross between the A698 and properties in Ormiston Mains.

However, tests found the Category A-listed structure was no longer strong enough to cope with the weight of vehicles.

Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund director for Scotland said: "Kalemouth Suspension Bridge is a magnificent piece of engineering and serves both as an important crossing for walkers and cyclists, and as a landmark and monument to local heritage."

"Thanks to National Lottery players, Heritage Fund investment will support the project with essential restoration work and new interpretation panels to share the story and significance of the bridge."