Broken 200‑year‑old bridge leaves Shropshire village split and facing 12‑mile detour

A partially collapsed 200‑year‑old bridge has left the village of Bronygarth in Shropshire divided for almost a year, forcing some residents to travel up to 12 miles for basic shopping and services while repairs remain stalled.

The bridge’s parapet was swept away during Storm Bert last November, and officials originally estimated repair work would take about 17 weeks. More than ten months later, homeowners and tenants on one side of the village say no permanent repair work has begun and that a temporary detour has significantly lengthened journeys to shops, medical appointments and other services.

Residents described practical and social disruptions. Some said it is quicker to cross into neighbouring Wales to buy groceries than to follow the diversion to the nearest English store. About 2,000 people live in the area, according to local accounts. Retired writer and illustrator Simon Greaves, 70, who has lived in the village for more than four decades, said he now has to travel into Wales and back into England to reach Oswestry because eastbound travel is blocked. "It's only a narrow lane so there's no possibility of any vehicle getting through," he said. "We were told it would take 17 weeks, but the contractors arrived and went away again."

Another resident, retired site maintenance worker Paul Wright, 66, said the damage initially made the site unsafe to cross and warned that some households now have to make lengthy, steep detours. "It was like a bomb site at first, we were worried to walk across. You can see why cars aren't allowed through," he said. "The other houses trapped over the other side have to go down a steep one‑way road, which must be dreadful."

Shropshire Council acknowledged the inconvenience and apologised for the delay. The authority said it was negotiating with landowners and with the Woodland Trust to secure safe access for contractors and to ensure repair methods protect an adjacent area of ancient woodland and comply with environmental and legislative requirements. "Negotiations are ongoing with the Woodland Trust to ensure the method of repair protects an ancient woodland, and to ensure the council complies with environmental and legislative requirements," a council spokesperson said. "It is hoped these negotiations will be concluded soon and the repairs started shortly."

Council officials have not provided a revised start date for works or a new timetable for completion. Local accounts say contractors visited the site after the storm but did not begin sustained work. Residents on the side cut off by the collapse say those without cars are effectively isolated and that the diversion has had social as well as practical consequences.

The bridge is part of a rural road network with narrow lanes and limited alternative routes. That geography has exacerbated the impact of the closure because detours require lengthy travel along valley roads or cross‑border journeys into Wales. Parishioners, shoppers and service users have reported added time and expense, and some community members described a sense of being "marooned" if they lack private transport.

Councils repairing historic infrastructure must often balance speed of reinstatement with legal and environmental safeguards, including rights of access, landowner permissions and protections for designated woodlands and habitats. In this case, the council has pointed to those obligations in explaining delays, saying it must agree an approach that both restores highway access and avoids damaging ancient woodland adjacent to the river corridor.

Local residents and campaigners for rural communities have urged quicker progress to restore safe, direct access. The council’s statement confirmed ongoing negotiations but did not commit to an adjusted timescale. The council said it understood the frustration experienced by the local community and was "apologising for the inconvenience caused by the delay in repair works necessary to reopen the road."

The situation highlights the wider challenges faced by rural councils in repairing ageing infrastructure after severe weather events. The bridge’s partial collapse during last autumn’s storm left visible damage and prompted an immediate closure on safety grounds. Officials initially considered a 17‑week repair period, but rights of way, landowner permissions and environmental protections have so far prevented work from proceeding on that schedule.

Shropshire Council said it continued to discuss access and the appropriate construction methodology with relevant stakeholders and hoped to conclude those discussions soon so that repair work can begin. Until then, residents said they must continue to use the longer diversion routes or travel across the border for essential shopping and services.