30th. Year, MMXVI Founded Penrith, 1st. Dec. 1986. Issue No. 803 Brougham HallHall NewsNews ::::::::::: Friday, 29th. July, 2016. B.H.C.T. PATRON - The Rt. Hon. LORD BROUGHAM AND VAUX, C.B.E.. 1986 ±≤ Thirty Years ≤± 2016 OF BROUGHAM HALL N E W S 60 Flood -Stricken Eamont Bridge Residents in ‘Strong Ancient Bridge at Support’ for Modern, Single -Span Replacement for one of “Britain’s Oldest Risk of Downfall? Working Crossings”… HE ANCIENT Bridge of Cum bria County Counc il and the Now Some ‘Better Eamont Bridge could yet be Environment Agency - according to Tdemolished — despite standing up the Cumberland &. Westmoland “Brexit” News’ ?! to the floods of December — follow- Herald on Saturday, 9th. July, - ——————— –———————————— -—— ing a public meeting of residents of “...that the Bridge … is one of the More UK Tourism to Bank on the village who say that it contrib- major factors in restricting the utes to the flooding of their homes. river’s flow during extremely-heavy as Pound Falls to Levels from The near -600 -year -old, Grade rainfall, causing it to… [Pg. 296] —u Year Hall Trust Was Begun One -listed structure, believed to be one of AST TIME, in Hall News , we the oldest bridges in L were concerned with the certain Britain still in regular loss of European Funding for recon- use for road traffic, struction or conservation projects at was the main subject Brougham Hall - projects such as rec- of a gathering at the reating the Lord Chancellor’s Den as nearby Village Hall on an “International Study Centre” dedi- Tuesday, 5th. July, at cated to Lord Chancellor Brougham. which “strong support” This time, then, to balance-out the was shown among story of how “Brexit”, or Britain’s exit around sixty villagers from the European Union , might effect for the Bridge to be Brougham Hall in particular, we con- toppled and replaced centrate on the perceived better side - with a modern, single- the potential for higher tourism figures Above: Eamont Bridge, as seen from the West, or span crossing. “It was Ullswater, side, on Saturday, 16th. January. as visitors are attracted by… [Pg. 297] —u widely accepted” by AlsoAlso inin ThisThis EditionEdition ...... HallHall NewsNews ProjectProject ReviewReview -- PartPart 44 Brougham Hall News Issue 803 PreparationsPreparations forfor NextNext CraftsCrafts FairFair 29th. July, 2016. Page 295 MoreMore AccoladesAccolades forfor ShapShap ChippyChippy Ancient Bridge at Risk of Downfall ? HISTORY OF EAMONT BRIDGE “THE B RIDGE of Eamont B ridge was built in 1425 after the Bishop of Durham, Thomas Langley, offered indul- gences to anyone contributing towards its construction, and it was widened in 1875. It is a slightly-humpbacked, three-arched Bridge made of grey sandstone with altera- Drama: Eamont Bridge and homes in December ’92 floods. tions in red sandstone. The solid parapets include pedes- — [Cont. from Front Page] : … / burst its banks and flow trian refuges above the pillars [piers]. Like the village, the through the village instead”. Bridge stands partly in Yanwath and Eam ont Bridge par- A team from Cum bria H ig hways — a division of the ish, and partly in Penrith.” — Wikipedia Website and County Council — have repaired and stabilised the Bridge Historic England , ‘Eamont Bridge [Refs. 1007193 and since it was seriously damaged by the floods that came 1145301]; National Heritage List for England’ . with the storm Des mond early in December. Part of their work also included trying to “speed up the flow of water underneath it in the short-term”, as the local “Could Bridge be Rebuilt newspaper reported. Several villagers, however, fear that this has “made it worse” and “restricted flow further”. One resident, Joe Dent, asked if the current Bridge, and Used Elsewhere...?” which dates from 1425, “could be removed and replaced [A Few ‘Tongue-in-Cheek’ Suggestions!] with a single-span structure instead”. Council Highways engineer Jonathan Smith said “this was an option that HAT IF EAMONT Bridge is demolished? — could be considered — but it would involve demolishing W Certainly, it would be the most -controversial some existing homes, and would not be a quick progress”. destruction of any structure in this district since the Senior Environment Agency flood-risk advisor Craig downfall of Brougham Hall itself, 82 years ago. What Cowperthwaite said: “The Agenc y would receive a poten- would be done with it if it is replaced? tial £1,400,000 from DEFRA - Departm ent for the E nvi- Perhaps it might be stored away in pieces and kept as ronm ent, Food and Rural Affairs - to reduce the flood “spare parts” for similar structures in the Eden Valley if risk at Eamont Bridge, and would soon be developing a they’re damag ed in future floods; business case for flood defences for the village. Maybe it could completely replace another structure — “This could potentially be spent on a replacement Brougham Old Bridge, perhaps? — Built stronger, with bridge if that was a sustainable and viable solution, and tougher innards, it would also be suitably nearer the age had community support”, Mr. Cowperthwaite added. of its potential neighbour, Broug ham Castle; Many locals complain of the Bridge’s narrow roadway, It could be packed-off to Arizona, U.S.A., and rebuilt and of the traffic lights that have been in use there for there like John Rennie’s “Old London Bridge”! decades; they appreciate its history but say it’s no longer — Or, just left where it is, at Eamont Bridge. … … ... “fit for [the] purpose” — and a wider, single-span structure with space for passing traffic has often been called for. The Work on Lowther Bridge ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Wall Work Affected by Change in River Flows AST TIME, in Hall News , we reported on the work on Lowther B ridge , the southerly of the two main river-bridgesL of the A.6. road at Eamont Bridge near Brougham Hall. This time, we tell how the local Cumber- land &. Westmorland Herald ’paper dealt with the story. ... Featuring a photograph of roadworks at the north (village) end of the Bridge, where part of it was cordoned- off with barriers, as seen in the edition of Saturday, 14th. May, the Herald stated: “Masonry has been washed away from parts of Lowther Bridge, which is now being sup- ported on metal props. [ Cumbria ] County Council officials Above: Surveying The Bridge , on Wednesday, 16th. say work to repair the structure is due to be carried out by December, with the local media looking on. Both Below: The the first week of June. Bridge is seen barricaded on the North approach on Satur- “A County Council spokesman said: ‘Lowther Bridge day, 16th. Jan., and at the other end on Wed., 16th. Dec’r.. requires repairs to the wingwall as a result of changes in river flows after the recent floods. ‘These works are being carried out over three weeks [into June], the Bridge remains open to pedestrians and vehicles, and there will be tem porary traffic lights in place for the duration of the work.’ “Lowther Bridge is one of a string of bridges across the Eden [Valley] that suffered to varying degrees in Decem- ber’s floods. Nearby Eamont Bridge was closed for months while structural repairs were carried out, with motorists [and other road users] being m ade to follow a lengthy diversion [initially via the B.6262., past Brougham Hall].” Brougham Hall News 803 - Friday, 29th . July , 20 1 6 - Page 296 - [email protected] Brougham Hall Conservation and Rebuilding Projects Kindly Supported by … Lake District Estates ’ marketing manag er Rachel Bell ‘Better “Brexit” News’...?! said: “I think we probably will see an increase in Chinese visitors. They may spend more time here, in the UK, and ‘A Weak Pound “Makes UK Cheaper” for Overseas Visitors’ move around more”. Her company runs the popular ⊳— [Cont. from Front Page] : … / lower rates of Pound Ullswater Steamers, so would clearly benefit from all this. Sterling against other currencies - including the Dollar, “Japan is another place like that because it is now and the Euro itself. Against the United States’ Dollar, the more favourable, and, for British tourists, circumstances Pound fell to levels not seen since 1985 - the very year like the weather may have a greater im pact than foreign the B roug ham Hall Charitable Trust was established. In spending-power”, she added. fact, the Pound was down to just $1.0348, almost at par- Nigel Wilkinson, chair-person of the Lake District ity , at around the start of 1985, states the FX -Top.com Business Task Force — and managing director of Winder- website. Ranging around $1.50 to the £1 in the run-up to mere Lake Cruis es and Winander Leis ure — also stated the Referendum on Thursday, 23rd. June, and for a good that the signs for the future “were good”. while before then, Sterling fell to a ‘31-year low’ once the “Up until May”, he said; “… we had had six months of “Leave Europe” decision was known. It was at to $1.29 in consistently being behind the equivalent period in 2015. the first trading-week of July, but is nearer $1.33 now. In May we were on a par, and in June we were blessed with good weather for half of the month.” Hoping for Local (and National) Tourism Boost … Story Details: News &. Star , Wednesday, 13th. July ; BBC News . ... A.591. Road Reopening “Also a Big Help” Together with helping Britain with exports, a lower He acknowledged that the re-opening of the vital Pound is supposed to attract extra tourists from over- A.591. road through the Lake District — linking Keswick to seas. Now this, then, is a golden opportunity for the Hall Kendal, via Ambleside and W indermere — “was also a big Trust to sell itself, and the Hall, to all these potential extra help” … “The fall in the Pound against the Dollar and the visitors — and at least hope to make up some of the per- Euro could be a positive for as the cost of a visit from ceived shortfall from ‘lost’ European Union funding.