Lancashire County Council urge public to come forward with Croston Bridge information

Lancashire County Council have urged members of the public to come forward with any information them may have on the damage caused to a 341-year-old bridge by a tractor.
By Emma Downey
Published 7th Sep 2023, 10:50 BST
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Croston Town Bridge – a Grade ll Historic Monument listed with Historic England built in 1682 was hit by a tractor last Sunday afternoon causing damage to the stonework after a tractor which was carrying a trailer full of silage ignored the three ton maximum rule for crossing and proceeded to travel over the bridge scraping the wall as they went. One of the old cast iron which supports holding the stonework together was also ripped off.

Retired farmer Laurence Bamford, 79, who witnessed the destruction, told the Post that he couldn’t believe the driver managed to get over the bridge one piece and without going into the water and that someone needs to be held accountable for repairing the damage and fixing the bridge.

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Croston Town Bridge, which is more than 300 years old, was hit by a tractor last Sunday. A witness saw the tractor hit the bridge, which also ripped off one of the old cast iron supports holding the stonework together and part of the stonework has been broken offCroston Town Bridge, which is more than 300 years old, was hit by a tractor last Sunday. A witness saw the tractor hit the bridge, which also ripped off one of the old cast iron supports holding the stonework together and part of the stonework has been broken off
Croston Town Bridge, which is more than 300 years old, was hit by a tractor last Sunday. A witness saw the tractor hit the bridge, which also ripped off one of the old cast iron supports holding the stonework together and part of the stonework has been broken off

However, a spokesman for Lancashire County Council claimed that the damage was ‘fairly minimal’. They said: "Following the reports about this incident we have now inspected the bridge and found that fortunately the damage is fairly minimal with no evidence of any issues which would affect the strength of the structure. The vehicle has brushed up against the inside face of the parapet wall, which has left some scratches and damage to individual stones and slightly dislodged some of the copings. Croston Town Bridge is in good condition, however it is a very old structure and a grade II listed scheduled monument, which is why it has a 3-tonnne weight limit."

They added: "We're grateful to everyone who reported this incident to us, however if anyone has any further information about the vehicle or business which caused the damage we'd ask them to get in touch with us by email at [email protected] or by calling 0300 123 6780."

Related topics:Lancashire County CouncilHistoric England