A Harrogate village bridge is to fully close tomorrow for five weeks of repair work costing £60,000.

North Yorkshire Council closed the grade two listed Hampsthwaite Bridge suddenly on June 2.

It quickly re-opened to pedestrians and cyclists but has remained closed to vehicles.

Now it is expected to be fully inaccessible until September.

The bridge, on Church Lane, has three arches spanning the River Nidd.

Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said:

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”

The bridge, which links Hampsthwaite with Clint, is popular with pedestrians, dog walkers, cyclists and runners.

Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Hampsthwaite on the council, said:

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”

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A Harrogate village bridge looks set to be closed to traffic for a long time after a large crack appeared.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on Friday.

It acted after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge, prompting safety concerns. It was possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

In an update today the council said 15 metres of the parapet, which is the safety barrier, on the damaged side of the wall needed to be rebuilt.

No timescale or cost was given but the scale of the work indicates long-term closure is likely.

The update did, however, say plans were being drawn up for pedestrians to use the undamaged side of the bridge, which joins Hampsthwaite and Clint.

The crack in the bridge

It is not yet known if cyclists will be permitted to cross.

The cause of the problem remains unknown.

The statement said:

“Following an onsite assessment by engineers we are able to confirm that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot lime mortar.

“The bridge will remain closed to traffic – due to ongoing safety concerns and the fact the bridge is narrow – until the repairs can be completed. Engineers are working on a scheme and aiming to get contractors on site to start them in July.

“Plans are currently being drawn up to open a section across the bridge, on the opposite side to the damaged parapet, to allow safe crossing for pedestrians.”

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A bridge in a village near Harrogate closed suddenly yesterday after a crack appeared.

A two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge on the edge of Hampsthwaite. It is possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

The issue was reported yesterday on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook group and later that day the bridge was closed to traffic.

The closure was unannounced by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

The bridge between Hampsthwaite and Clint

A long crack has appeared

The bridge, on Church Lane, carries traffic between Hampsthwaite and Clint.

A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said:

“The bridge has been closed due to structural concerns. We will be assessing it today and will provide an update.”

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The Northern Lights have turned the sky in the Harrogate district purple and green again.

The astral phenomenon, which is caused by the interaction of the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere, has been visible for the last two nights