North Yorkshire: Rievaulx Bridge to close for 13-week repairs

A bridge close to the ruins of a North Yorkshire abbey is to be closed for 13 weeks this summer.

Rievaulx Bridge is Grade II-listed and requires major repair work, North Yorkshire Council said.

It said the work, which will begin on 3 July, was essential and said a pedestrian footbridge would be installed to maintain some access.

The council added a diversion route and warning signs of the closure for motorists would also be in place.

Rievaulx Abbey, now run by English Heritage, was the first Cistercian monastery in the north of England and was founded in the 12th Century by a group of monks from Clairvaux Abbey in France.

The bridge crosses the river Rye and sits on the Cleveland Way National Trail.

Apologising for any disruption, Keane Duncan the council's executive member for highways and transport said it was a "very popular" road due to its location.

"The repairs are essential to maintain the safety of the bridge for the use of residents, and visitors for many years to come," he said.

Work will include strengthening the load capacity of the bridge by constructing a concrete saddle across its three spans.

This process requires the removal of the road surface and fill material which means it must be closed to traffic.

A section of stonework will be taken down and rebuilt using existing and new stone.

The bridge was constructed after a medieval crossing was destroyed by a flood in 1754.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or send video here.