A BRIDGE over the River Teign was the location for a team of Royal Engineers who demolished and removed a 50-year-old structure last week in the Castle Drogo Estate to make way for a new suspension bridge later this year.
The Iron Bridge — as it was known — was badly damaged in the floods of November 2000. It was condemned as unsafe in an engineer's survey — but its removal was delayed by the foot and mouth crisis last year.
Knowing that the Royal Engineers occasionally carried out jobs for the National Trust, the charity's countryside manager on Dartmoor, Keith Robinson, was successful in recruiting a team of six from the 51 Field Squadron (Air Assault) based at Ripon in North Yorkshire to remove the bridge last Wednesday.
The team used aerial ropeways and pulleys to suspend the bridge before cutting into sections.
Sergeant Lloyd James said the job needed to be done before the salmon started spawning in April and he was happy to assist, this being his first mission on Dartmoor.
'It was quite a technical job but it went really well and we succeeded in our aim not to get any men, materials or any part of the bridge in the water,' he said. 'It gave the guys an opportunity to use their skills in a practical way.'
Countryside manager Keith Robinson said the £80,000 was now in place to build the new bridge and he hoped planning permission would be granted within the next couple of months.
This part of the estate was very popular with walkers and the bridge enabled people to do a circular walk between Castle Drogo and Fingle Bridge, linking Fisherman's Path to Woodman's Path.
The original bridge, which was built by Anthony Drewe of Castle Drogo to view his estate from the opposite side of the river, was supported by a central pole, which is why it collapsed when a tree came down the river and hit it in the floods.
Mr Robinson said the replacement bridge would be supported by twin towers at either end and cable stays.
'We plan to put the job out to tender but we will be entering negotiations with the army to see if they would come back to finish the job,' he said.
'It would be really nice but it depends on their other commitments.'