AN EDEN historic packhorse bridge has been restored at Heltondale Beck, in the parish of Askham.

Centuries of Cumbrian rural tradition are being maintained at Heltondale Beck where a late medieval packhorse bridge has been restored with the help of an £8,700 grant from English Heritage, reports Karen Morley.

By the 17th Century the narrow, 16ft-long bridge was already carrying pedestrians, riders and livestock over the beck. It is still used to this day by walkers as well as farmers George and Alice Robinson, on whose land it lies.

It was built as a narrow arch made from undressed slabs of limestone with earth fill, rising above abutments of large, water-smoothed boulders with an infill of pebbles.

Like most packhorse bridges it was designed to be wide enough for just once horse and its parapet was low so that it would not interfere with the panniers used to carry goods on the horse.

Water pressure over the years had caused the downstream arch and abutment to collapse and had washed out much of the lime mortar. English Heritage granted £8,700 towards the cost of the specialist work of conserving and repairing the bridge, which should now be safe for future generations.

Andrew Davison, inspector of ancient monuments for Cumbria for English Heritage, said: "Bridges like this were once an essential part of the transport infrastructure. Many have been swept away - by progress or the elements - over the centuries, but this bridge is still there and still used to cross the beck.

"That it has survived so long is partly a reflection on the rural nature of its location but also of the skill of those who built it in the first place."

Alice Robinson said: "For people in this area it is an important part of our heritage and a reminder of how life used to be. We are really pleased that it can be saved for people in the future to use and enjoy."