Damage to a well-known 17th-century bridge in the North York Moors National Park has been labelled as a staggering act of vandalism by conservation experts.
Beggar’s Bridge is set over a picturesque part of the River Esk on the edge of Glaisdale village and alongside the path of the Coast to Coast trail. It is popular with walkers, photographers and historians alike, but a recent act of vandalism – believed to have been caused with an angle grinder – has thrown the immediate future of the 400-year-old structure into uncertainty.
Significant damage has been done across four pieces of the bridge’s parapet wall, consisting of inscribed letters or initials that are up to 1.5 inches deep. Because the wall is relatively thin in places, it is uncertain whether some or all the damaged stonework will need to be replaced.
Anyone with information regarding the damage should contact police on 101. The crime reference number is NYP-27072023-0395.
Beggar’s Bridge is set over a picturesque part of the River Esk on the edge of Glaisdale village and alongside the path of the Coast to Coast trail. It is popular with walkers, photographers and historians alike, but a recent act of vandalism – believed to have been caused with an angle grinder – has thrown the immediate future of the 400-year-old structure into uncertainty.
Significant damage has been done across four pieces of the bridge’s parapet wall, consisting of inscribed letters or initials that are up to 1.5 inches deep. Because the wall is relatively thin in places, it is uncertain whether some or all the damaged stonework will need to be replaced.
Anyone with information regarding the damage should contact police on 101. The crime reference number is NYP-27072023-0395.
Damage to historic bridge ‘beggars’ belief: North York Moors National Park
Damage to a well-known 17th-century bridge in the North York Moors National Park has been labelled as a staggering act of vandalism by conservation experts.
www.northyorkmoors.org.uk
