The park at Stanford Hall in Leicestershire retains many heritage structures, the most notable being the Charles I Bridge. The bridge was constructed in 1636 and is named after the King’s retreat from the historic Battle of Naseby.
The bridge was in a very poor state of repair and in danger of imminent collapse due to many years of neglect. Set within an extremely sensitive site, the scheme was required to safely and sympathetically restore the bridge, bringing it back to use within the parkland. Working with advice from Natural England, Harborough District Council and English Heritage, and supported by a number of highly skilled specialist contractors, an award-winning restoration was achieved.
The work was also carried out in accordance with the established Heritage Management Plan for the parkland. The engineering utilised substantial temporary works, including damming the river and constructing a major temporary steel structure to facilitate the reconstruction. The result was a bridge restoration which won a Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Award from the Institute of Civil Engineers.
