Cox's Walk new bridge damaged!

[Castleton]

The bridge is unfortunately closed because a tree fell on it

[CPR Dave]

FFS

[Sue]

3 minutes ago, Castleton said:

The bridge is unfortunately closed because a tree fell on it

How on earth could a tree fall on it?!

Was it diseased? Surely someone checks the health of the  trees in the wood?

[jazzer]

You couldn't make it up, even if you tried. Sad to hear its closed. How bad is the damage?

[NewWave]

Our neighbour sent a pic of the fallen tree across the end of the bridge.

its a HUGE tree-made me feel sad to see such a giant fallen.

Odd though theres been no storms or anything

[Happyme5]

It has been very dry maybe that affects trees and their roots /  the recent works repairing the bridge could contribute.

[Penguin68]

Was that one of the trees the council had always wanted to knock down, to make the work easier, if I remember correctly, but which was resisted by local people? 

[Happyme5]

Ohh I am not sure.  Maybe you have seen the wood through the trees. , 🌴 

[Vik]

This is why we can't have nice things.

[Sue]

14 minutes ago, Vik said:

This is why we can't have nice things.

Why, in case a tree falls on them?!

[first mate]

6 hours ago, Penguin68 said:

Was that one of the trees the council had always wanted to knock down, to make the work easier, if I remember correctly, but which was resisted by local people? 

Wasn't it two ancient oak trees that the contractors were insisting had to be removed to work on the bridge? This was to make movement of heavy vehicles easier. Locals resisted. 

Edited May 9 by first mate

[intexasatthe moment]

Not an oak but the look of it 

 

[Katherty]

This is such a shame for the bridge. 

I wonder if anyone saw it fall, and when it was (at night?)

Is the walking path through the woods still accessible? 

 

[NewWave]

42 minutes ago, Katherty said:

This is such a shame for the bridge. 

I wonder if anyone saw it fall, and when it was (at night?)

Is the walking path through the woods still accessible? 

 

Personally I feel its a shame for the tree.

The bridge looks pretty badly damaged-I just hope it does'nt mean the entrance from Dulwich Common/Lordship Lane will be closed for ages while they fix it.

[Sue]

It was lucky nobody was on the bridge beneath the tree when it fell.

It's hard to see, but it doesn't look like a whole tree, but a branch?

Or else it's a relatively thin trunk?

What seems to be the point where the branch (?) joined the tree - or else the point where the whole tree broke off - (on the bottom left of the picture) looks like quite a clean break.

It couldn't have been deliberate, could it?

Or has someone trimmed it after it fell?

It's hard to see how this could have happened accidentally. It has been a bit windy, but surely not enough to cause this.

Shouldn't there have been a risk assessment when the bridge was built, to include assessing the risk of nearby trees falling?

Edited May 10 by Sue

[ianr]

> Or else it's a relatively thin trunk?

Or a rather thick old trunk, covered in leaf growth?  Look at the damage caused to the end and right hand railings.  NewWave, any chance  of loading your neighbour's photo here?   Or anyone else with some good focused photos, from various viewpoints if possible?

Edited May 10 by ianr

[Brian up the hill]

Ash tree branch. Before speculating as to cause and whether it was deliberate or not, it’s worth remembering that there is ash dieback around. Also tree branches fall off without warning, especially if there’s internal rot or disease which is not outwardly apparent. And yes, there are regular checks done on the health of the trees in the Wood. 

[pebs]

Saw the bridge today. Tree was cleared and could not see any discernable damage....

[intexasatthe moment]

Good news , thanks pebs

And thanks to whoever was responsible for speedy clearance.

[alice]

Yes that’s true but bridge was still closed. (Yesterday) 

[SeaHibiscus]

The Ash tree that fell was rotted at the base: it had no sign of 'dieback'. 

The bridge is still closed. We walked past it only a few hours ago.

[optimum]

Does anyone know if the bridge is open yet? Thanks 

[Vik]

On 09/05/2025 at 13:05, Sue said:

Why, in case a tree falls on them?!

Yep.  Always happens.