Funds Needed To Reopen Putney Lower Common Footbridge


Residents have already raised over £3,000 for its restoration

Putney Lower Common footbridge
Putney Lower Common footbridge

The footbridge on Putney Lower Common remains closed but a fundraising appeal is ongoing to allow it to be fully restored and reopened.

The appeal has been launched by Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators (WPCC), the charity that cares for the Common.

The ‘bring back the bridge’ campaign has already received £3,704 from local residents and, if it can reach its target of £15,000 by summer, then the go ahead can be given to the contractor to begin work to reopen the bridge over the Beverley Brook in autumn this year.

To make it safe for use, the broken and decayed timber sleepers need to be replaced. The steel frame will need to be lifted and repaired as the metal ties that hold the beams together have corroded. The bridge can then be protected from corrosion, painted and fully restored.

Putney Lower Common is a green space located approximately ½ mile west of Putney town centre. The Common’s broad grass meadows, cricket pitch and location next to the All Saints church help retain a village green character. During the spring the meadows are adorned with cow parsley. To the north is a riverside walk that leads out onto the Thames Towpath. The footbridge forms part of this riverside walk providing the opportunity for a circular walk around the Common and over the Beverley Brook.

Maggie May, Fundraising Manager for the WPCC says, “With your support the bridge can be fully restored, made safe for use and the surrounding landscape enhanced. All donations received for the bridge mean that more funds can be spent caring for this cherished green space in our community.

"If you love Putney Lower Common please consider making a donation today. When the bridge is fully restored we shall of course have a celebration on the Common and hope that the Putney community will join us.”

You can make your donation online.

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March 18, 2022