A HISTORIC footbridge is set for a grand reopening for its 130th anniversary after being saved from demolition and restored.

Coggeshall Parish Council is organising the reopening of Curd Hall Bridge, which goes over the River Blackwater.

Shut in September 2019, Essex Highways wanted to tear down the bridge – commonly known as Dick Nunn’s footbridge – after it was ruled unsafe by engineers.

However, it was saved and restored after a petition received hundreds of signatures from villagers.

The bridge dates back to 1892 and was built by former blacksmith Henry ‘Dick’ Nunn.

He was often involved in legal disputes and appeared in court regularly for defying authority and helping others.

In 1892, Dick decided it was time to replace a footbridge over the River Blackwater which had been removed 17 years earlier.

Coggeshall parish councillor June Alston said: “He was such a fighter for Coggeshall, he just did it for the village without the council or any support.”

Following the restoration, there will be a grand reopening.

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June added: “We have future plans to put a noticeboard and signs up and have it added to tourist leaflets.

“There will hopefully also be posters put up, like the old posters that Dick Nunn used.

“We will now have a reopening day where we show everybody it is back in use.

“On the day we are going to use the space at the football club for people who can’t go to the bridge and the rest of us will cut the ribbon.

“All of this is so important, if we don’t keep things as they are, that history is gone forever.

“For the new people coming and those growing up, they won’t know these things, so it is to protect the future as well.”

The reopening is on May 22, at the football ground at 11am.