Until recently, Thorpe Meadows Bridge, colloquially known as the Red Bridge, spanned an inlet from the River Nene to the rowing lake on the edge of Thorpe Meadows. The bridge was sited on a footpath that follows a picturesque riverside route from the City Centre to the western edge of Peterborough and beyond. The bridge was also an entry point to Boardwalks Nature Reserve directly adjacent to our land.

After 38 years in place, the bridge was deemed unsafe in 2021 due to rotten wooden beams and was closed, before being removed in early 2022. Since then there has been no crossing point of the river in this location.

We are now in a position to replace this bridge due a combination of funds from Peterborough City Council, Nene Park Trust and generous donations from Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund and FCC Communities Foundation.

This project will install a new 20m steel and timber footbridge where Thorpe Meadows Red Bridge once stood. The new bridge will have a lifespan of 50-100 years, thus helping to build the resilience of this area of Nene Park. It will be 1.2m wide to allow for mobility scooters and other walking aids. The new bridge will reopen a popular walking route to Nene Park and the Boardwalks Nature Reserve from the city centre. It will also provide a foot/cycle entry point to Thorpe Meadows Gateway, allowing pedestrians/cyclists to avoid having to use a busy main road.

It is anticipated the reopening of the bridge will help encourage more people, in particular from more deprived areas of Peterborough who cannot drive, to visit Thorpe Meadows under their own steam to enjoy the outdoors and accrue the related health and wellbeing benefits.

The new bridge works will take place in September-October 2023 with the new bridge expected to be open for use by the end of October.