Fifty years after it was demolished, a canal bridge in North West Leicestershire is being reopened.
Leicestershire County Council, supported by the Ashby Canal Trust, is reopening the bridge as part of a scheme to restore an eight-mile section of the Ashby Canal.
With the help of volunteers and residents the council has completely rebuilt Bridge No. 62 at Snarestone following its demolition in 1966.
The hard work and dedication of all those who have helped to rebuild this bridge has paid off, and I am delighted that once again this bridge will be a feature of the canal.
Person:Councillor Pam Posnett, cabinet member for the environment
The bridge was demolished after the stretch of the canal north of the Snarestone terminus was abandoned due to the effects of mining subsidence.
It had been built in the late 1790s, using oversized bricks from Measham firm Wilkes and known as Gobs. The bricks, which weighed about twice as much as a normal one, were made to minimise the impact of a brick tax.
When the canal closed, the bridge was bulldozed into the canal bed and volunteers were able to rescue a number of the Gob bricks which have been used to clad the new bridge.
For more information on the restoration scheme visit ashbycanaltrust.co.uk